§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 24 February 2003,Official Report, column 371W, on neuroleptic prescribing, what research his Department is commissioning to discover the extent of overmedication in care homes; and how much research has been commissioned on overmedication in each of the last five years. [105882]
§ Jacqui SmithThe main Government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for disease is the Medical Research Council (MRC), which receives its funding from the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Technology. The MRC is not currently funding any research on overmedication in care homes. The MRC always welcomes high quality applications for research into any aspect of human health, and these are considered in competition with other demands on funding.
The Department funds research to support policy and delivery of effective practice in health and social care. The Department has not recently, and is not currently, funding any research on overmedication in care homes.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health, announced on 31 March 2003 that, as part of its eighth work programme, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence would be looking at the management of dementia, including the use of anti-psychotic medication in people with dementia.