More than half of nursing home patients are being prescribed inappropriate levels of calming drugs like tranquilisers, a new study suggests.

It has led to calls for nursing homes to look again to see if patients actually need the medicine.

Professor Carmel Hughes from Queen's University, Belfast, is one of the people who carried out the research.

"Probably what needs to be changed is a regular review of medication in nursing home residents," she said.

"That does happen and it happens probably at least once a year.

"But perhaps there is an opportunity to do that more often, particularly if a resident's condition changes or if the resident's medication has not been looked at in some time."

She said pharmacists and doctors can work together to do that.

Dr Sean Donnelly, a north Belfast GP who has many patients in nursing homes, said the report was "thought provoking".

"Every prescriber would want to look at the type of medication their patients are on in the light of this report.

"The highlight of the lack of recording is a very important factor. This might also be looked at."