Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I’m very pleased to open this debate today on the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s report on the use of antipsychotic medication in care homes. We decided to carry out this inquiry in response to the increasing concerns about the inappropriate use of antipsychotics in care home settings to manage challenging behaviour of people with dementia. As we all know, antipsychotics are usually used in the treatment of mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, and only one, risperidone, in some circumstances, is licensed in the United Kingdom to treat the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.

However, during our scrutiny of the Welsh Government’s draft dementia strategy, we were told that the use of antipsychotics is of great concern to people with dementia and their families. Antipsychotics are associated with an increased risk of cerebrovascular adverse events and greater mortality when used in people with dementia. Studies estimate that there are at least 1,800 extra deaths each year among people with dementia in the UK as a result of their taking antipsychotics, and that the likelihood of premature death increases if people take these drugs for months or years rather than weeks. It is therefore vital that antipsychotics are only used where absolutely necessary, that usage is reviewed regularly, and that only the lowest doses are given to the patient.

During March and April 2017 we held a public consultation and we received 18 written responses, representing a range of healthcare organisations and professional groups. In addition, we heard oral evidence from a number of witnesses. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to our inquiry, and I’m particularly grateful to the people who had been affected by the use of antipsychotic medication for sharing their experiences with us. Our report contains 11 recommendations to the Welsh Government, based on the evidence we received, and I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his response and his subsequent letter in these past few days, in which he provided further details about his response to some recommendations.