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100% of relevant mental health services compliant with ECT Rules and Code of Practice in 2023

100% of applicable services were compliant with all aspects of the Rules and Code governing the use of electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) in Irish mental health centres, according to a report published by the Mental Health Commission (MHC) this morning.

The report, titled ‘The Administration of Electro-convulsive Therapy in Approved Centres: Activity Report 2023’, provides information on how often ECT is used, the people who receive it, the services providing it, and the quality and safety of the service. It is the 16th annual activity report published by the MHC on the use of ECT in approved mental health centres and includes previously published data for comparative purposes.

The report also shows that there was a slight increase in the administration of ECT in services last year. There were 271 programmes of ECT administered to 205 residents in 2023. This represents an increase in the number of programmes, and a slight decrease in residents on figures from 2022, which saw 265 programmes administered to 206 residents. In addition, there was a total of 2,233 individual treatments of ECT administered in 2023, representing a 6% increase in comparison to 2022, when 2,109 individual treatments were administered.

“The purpose of publishing this annual report is to assure the public that this service is monitored and regulated by the MHC,” said Gary Kiernan, Director of Regulation for the Mental Health Commission. “Our primary function is to promote, encourage and maintain the high standards and good practices in the delivery of mental health services in Ireland. We commend those service providers who consistently monitor their compliance and, where necessary, initiate improvements in this area. By doing so, we can work towards providing the best possible service and protect the interests of the relevant persons. In fact, in 2023, varying levels of improvement were reported as the outcome in 244 programmes (90%) of ECT, compared to 231 in 2022 (87.2%).”

A programme of ECT may involve up to 12 treatments of ECT prescribed by a consultant psychiatrist, with the total number of treatments administered in a programme of ECT varying from one to 12 treatments. The average number of treatments per programme was 8.2 in 2023 (up from eight in 2022). In 2023, 74.6% of residents were administered only one programme of ECT, compared by 77.2% in 2022.

In 2023, the average age of all residents who were administered ECT was 63 years, the same age as 2022. In 2023, residents receiving ECT ranged in age from 21 to 95 years compared to 22 to 94 years in 2022. Data from recent years showed that females are more likely than males to receive ECT, at a ratio of approximately two-thirds to one-third respectively and in 2023, 66% of ECT residents were female.

2023 key statistics on ECT:

  • 271 programmes of ECT were administered to 205 residents in 2023 (2022: 265 programmes to 206 residents)
  • Rate of ECT programmes per resident was 1.3 programmes per resident in both 2023 and 2022.
  • 74.6% of residents who received ECT were administered one programme of ECT (2022: 77.2%)
  • The average number of treatments per programme was 8.24 in 2023, as compared with 8 in 2022.
  • There was a total of 2,233 individual treatments of ECT administered in 2023 (2022: 2,109).
  • In 2023, 100% of relevant services were compliant with all aspects of the rules governing the use of ECT; this was an increase from 93% compliance of relevant services in 2022.
  • 100% of relevant services in 2023 were compliant with all aspects of the Code of Practice governing the use of ECT, as they were in 2022.
  • The Acute Psychiatric Unit at Tallaght University Hospital reported the highest number of programmes of ECT (34) in an HSE-operated service in 2023 (2022: 31).
  • In 2023, 52 ECT programmes (19.2%) involved one or more treatments without consent, compared to 44 (16.7%) programmes in 2022. Section 3.4 of the Rules Governing the Use of ECT outlines the requirements for the administration of ECT in the absence of patient consent.
  • In 2023, 1,844 ECT treatments (82.6%) were administered with consent while 389 (17.4%) were administered without consent. In comparison, in 2022, 1,767 treatments (83.8%) were administered with consent while 342 treatments (16.2%) were administered without consent.
  • In 2023, 9 residents (3.32%) withdrew consent during their programme of ECT in comparison to 5 residents (1.9%) in 2022.

 

Please follow this link to the full report: The Administration of Electro-convulsive Therapy in Approved Centres: Activity Report 2023 report.

Please follow this link to our full statement: The Administration of Electro-convulsive Therapy in Approved Centres: Activity Report 2023 Press Release

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