Electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) use for treating severe mental illness within NHS England has almost tripled in use in the last decade despite recent calls for its suspension.
NHS England data has indicated a 176% increase in the number of patients receiving the controversial treatment in England from 2016/17 to 2024/25.
During this period, a total of 5001 patients received ECT, with 955 in the last year – a massive rise from the 346 patients in 2016/17.
The most common primary reason for referral of patients who received ECT from 2016/17 to 2024/25 was depression – totalling at 2211.
2024/25 recorded the highest number of referrals due to depression at 435, a staggering 394% increase from 2016/17, which only recorded 88.
However, data limitations indicate that these figures are likely to be an undercount of the therapy’s true usage across time, raising questions over just how common the procedure actually is within NHS England.
John Read, professor in the University of East London’s department of psychology, believes the practice should be suspended pending further research.
He said: “The real story here isn’t about slight increases or decreases, but the fact that it does not work and causes memory loss.
“The accepted way to determine if a treatment works are placebo studies, and in ECT, there hasn’t been any studies like that since 1985 — which is astonishing.
“After 80 years of this treatment being in use, they have not established that it works.
“My position is it ideally should be immediately suspended while they do the research they should have done 40 years ago, so that we can see whether it does work and exactly what amount of damage there is.”
According to information provided by the NHS East London Trust, ECT has been shown to have “an extra effect in severe depression” — which allegedly appears to be more helpful than medication.
A spokesperson said: “There is evidence that severe depression is caused by problems with certain brain chemicals.
“It is thought that ECT causes the release of these chemicals and, probably more importantly, makes the chemicals more likely to work and so help recovery.”
However, the NHS clearly also states that “no-one is certain how ECT works” – which is a primary reason for its controversiality amongst professionals.
Concerning the placebo studies, the NHS has said that the patients who had ECT were much more likely to recover, and did so more quickly than those who had the placebo treatment.
The effects of ECT – and what do patients think about the treatment?
The side effects and general experience of receiving ECT treatment differs between patients, and some effects are more common than others — many patients will experience short-term memory loss after having ECT.
Jan Giles, aged 58, from West Yorkshire, received ECT for depression in 2016/17 and described the treatment as ‘miraculous’.
Giles said: “I just say to people it was like a miracle, but that’s because it was. I no longer thought about killing myself.
“I was able to have conversations with with friends, I was able to finally actually read something, I’d not been able to read even the tiniest bit of newspaper article for months because I had no ability to concentrate previously.”
Speaking of the adverse effects and those who advocate against ECT, Giles remained steadfast in her defence of the treatment despite suffering some memory loss.
She said: “I do have this memory gap, which is a couple months, and given that I was sectioned in a mental health ward, I don’t feel that I’m missing that much by not having that.
“The anti-ECT lobby is strong, and what makes me feel quite angry is that I don’t actually give the right to anybody to seek to deprive me of the treatment that saved my life.
“If I were unwell again, I would one-hundred percent choose to have it again because nothing else was working for me.
“I wouldn’t want one of my loved ones to have it, but they don’t have the right to tell me that I can’t choose to have it.”
There’s limited evidence about the long-term effects of having ECT, but the consequences can be life changing for some patients.
Anna Webb, aged 42, founder and director of Life After ECT— a charity dedicated to improving the lives of those harmed by ECT— received the treatment as a teenager after being misdiagnosed as bipolar, which left her “severely disabled”.
Webb said: “ECT’s side effects extend well beyond memory loss, which tends to be the primary risk discussed with patients.
“Beyond cognition, reported effects span many body systems — cardiac complications, seizure disorders, neurological and movement problems, speech and hearing difficulties, autonomic dysfunction, and difficulties carrying out everyday tasks.
“For those who choose to have ECT and find it helpful, we will work to ensure that choice is fully informed — and that if serious side effects do occur, the support needed to recover is there.”
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email [email protected], visit a Samaritans branch in person, or go to the Samaritans website.
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