Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The Mental Health Commission’s Code of Practice on the Use of Electro-Convulsive Therapy for Voluntary Patientsstates that “ECT should only be administered to a voluntary patient following his/her consent”.

The Commission’s Rules Governing the Use of Electro-Convulsive Therapyapply to any person to whom an admission or renewal order relates i.e. an involuntary patient. The Rules prescribe that “Where a patient is unable to give consent or is unwilling to give consent to administration of ECT, Section 59 (1)(b) of the Mental Health Act 2001 applies”. In this case, ECT is approved by the consultant psychiatrist responsible for the care and treatment of the patient and authorised by another consultant psychiatrist in a form specified by the Commission (Form 16 Treatment without consent Electroconvulsive Therapy Involuntary Patient (Adult).

Form 16s are completed and returned to the Mental Health Commission. Forms are validated with approved centres to confirm if the administration of ECT without consent did proceed. The detailed data requested by the Deputy is outlined in the following report.

Due to the sensitive nature of the data and the small numbers involved, which may make individuals identifiable, a breakdown of patients administered ECT without consent in each approved centre in each year is not published by the Commission and therefore not provided in the report.

Mental Health Commission Report on the Administration of ECT without consent in Approved Centre to individuals in the period form

01 January 2011 to 31 December 2014

Reference: PQ876715

Data source: Form 16 Treatment without Consent Electroconvulsive Therapy Involuntary Patient (Adult) returns

CONFIDENTIAL

2013 data are validated and signed off by approved centres but have not been published by the Mental Health Commission yet

2014 data are draft and have not been signed off by approved centres

Involuntary Patients (Adults) Administered ECT without Consent. Numbers

Approved Centre Type	Approved Centre Name	2011	2012	2013	2014	2011-2014
AC administered ECT without consent	Acute Psychiatric Unit 5B, University Hospital Limerick	N	N	Y	Y	<5
AC administered ECT without consent	Acute Psychiatric Unit, AMNCH (Tallaght) Hospital*	Y	Y	Y	Y	6
AC administered ECT without consent	Acute Psychiatric Unit, Cavan General Hospital	N	N	N	Y	<5
AC administered ECT without consent	Acute Psychiatric Unit, University Hospital Ennis	Y	N	N	N	<5
AC administered ECT without consent	Admission Unit & St Edna’s Ward, St Loman’s Hospital, Mullingar	N	Y	Y	N	<5
AC administered ECT without consent	Adult Mental Health Unit, Mayo General Hospital	N	Y	Y	N	<5
AC administered ECT without consent	Clonfert Ward & St Luke’s Ward, St Brigid’s Hospital, Ballinasloe	Y	Y	N	N	<5
AC administered ECT without consent	Department of Psychiatry, Letterkenny General Hospital	N	Y	Y	Y	6
AC administered ECT without consent	Department of Psychiatry, Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise	Y	Y	Y	N	6
AC administered ECT without consent	Department of Psychiatry, St Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny	Y	Y	Y	Y	9
AC administered ECT without consent	Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Galway	Y	N	N	Y	6
AC administered ECT without consent	Department of Psychiatry, Waterford Regional Hospital	N	Y	N	Y	7
AC administered ECT without consent	Elm Mount Unit, St Vincent's University Hospital	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
AC administered ECT without consent	South Lee Mental Health Unit, Cork University Hospital	Y	N	N	N	<5
AC administered ECT without consent	St Aloysius Ward, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital**	Y	Y	N	N	<5
AC administered ECT without consent	St John of God Hospital Limited***	Y	Y	N	N	6
AC administered ECT without consent	St Patrick's University Hospital	Y	Y	Y	Y	26
AC referred or transferred patient to other AC for administration of ECT without consent	Avonmore & Glencree Units, Newcastle Hospital	N	N	N	Y	<5
AC referred or transferred patient to other AC for administration of ECT without consent	Centre for Mental Health Care & Recovery, Bantry General Hospital	N	N	N	Y	<5
AC referred or transferred patient to other AC for administration of ECT without consent	Department of Psychiatry, Connolly Hospital	Y	N	N	N	<5
AC referred or transferred patient to other AC for administration of ECT without consent	Department of Psychiatry, Our Lady's Hospital, Navan	N	N	Y	N	<5
AC referred or transferred patient to other AC for administration of ECT without consent	Highfield Hospital	N	Y	N	N	<5
AC referred or transferred patient to other AC for administration of ECT without consent	Jonathan Swift Clinic	Y	Y	Y	Y	6
AC referred or transferred patient to other AC for administration of ECT without consent	Selskar House, Farnogue Residential Healthcare Unit	N	N	N	Y	<5
AC referred or transferred patient to other AC for administration of ECT without consent	St Edmundsbury Hospital	N	N	Y	N	<5
AC referred or transferred patient to other AC for administration of ECT without consent	St Ita's Ward & Unit One, St Brigid's Hospital, Kells Road, Ardee	N	N	Y	N	<5
AC referred or transferred patient to other AC for administration of ECT without consent	St Vincent's Hospital - St Loiuse's, St Mary's, St Teresa's, & Psychiatry of Old Age Wards	N	N	Y	N	<5
	Total Patients administered ECT without consent per Year	22	29	34	42

* The figure for Acute Psychiatric Unit, AMNCH (Tallaght) Hospital includes one or more patients that were transferred to another approved centre for the administration of ECT during a period when their ECT suite was not operational.

* The figure for St Aloysius Ward, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital includes one or more patients that were transferred to another approved centre for the administration of ECT during a period when their ECT suite was not operational.

*** St John of God Hospital Limited data includes ECT without consent that was administered to Cluain Mhuire public patients and St John of God Hospital private patients

Explanatory Notes

<5: Given the potential for individuals to be identified <5 is used where the number of patients administered ECT without consent was <5 in the four-year reporting period.

AC administered ECT without consent: This approved centre administered ECT without consent to one or more patients in the reporting period

Approved Centre Type

AC referred or transferred patient to other AC for administration of ECT without consent: One or more patients were admitted to this approved centre but were referred (on a day patient basis) or transferred (under Section 21(1) of the MHA 2001) to another approved centre for the administration of ECT without consent in the reporting period

The Report does include a list of approved centres that administered ECT without consent or referred or transferred one or more patients to another approved centre for the administration of ECT without Consent in the period 2011-2014. The report indicates if the approved centre had any patients in each year (Y = Yes, N=NO) and the total number of patients administered ECT without consent over the four year period. Given the potential for individuals to be identified <5 is used where the number of patients administered ECT without consent was <5 in the four year reporting period.

Please note that data for 2013 has been verified with and signed off by approved centres but have not been published by the Mental Health Commission yet. Data for 2014 have been verified with approved centres but have not been signed off by approved centres and should be taken as draft.

Report Date: 02 March 2015.