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The ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) service in Worcestershire has been awarded commendations for excellence across all four standards in their latest review.

The service received a 100% compliance rating across all accreditation standards in an evaluation carried out by Electroconvulsive Therapy Accreditation Service (ECTAS) – an external body under The Royal College of Psychiatrists. 

The review is a comprehensive process, involving evaluation of all aspects of the service such as safety, patient experience, and everyday procedures. It includes dedicated interviews with patients who have used the service and is based on the feedback received from them.  

The review concluded no corrective actions for the service, and instead to “share the good work with other clinics”.

The team consists of specialist anaesthetists and psychiatrists who provide specialist treatment to patients across Worcestershire who are experiencing severe mental ill health.

The treatment is most often offered to patients with severe depression, where medication may not have been effective, and where often their illness is having significant adverse impacts on their quality of life.

Kay Fisher, the Lead Practitioner for the service said, “To achieve all 4 has never been done in Worcestershire before and is also an uncommon achievement within the ECTAS network as a whole, so I am absolutely over the moon, as is the rest of the team”.

 

“Last year we carried out one of the highest number of treatments so I’m very proud of what the team has achieved here. We always strive to do our best and put patients at the heart of everything we do, so receiving such an honour, especially based on such positive patient feedback, feels very heart-warming and was a really nice way to end the year.”

 

Kay is also a Barry Reynolds Award recipient and is known for her delivery of life changing mental health treatment during her time within the service.

Also in the previous year, the service was decorated with an award for patient experience from the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Gemma Diss, Associate Director of Specialist Mental Health and Learning Disability Services, said, “It’s fantastic to see the commitment and all of the hard work the team has done to achieve this being recognised. It’s uplifting to see such excellent standards of care for mental health services in our local community. I’m glad that we are able to provide such a service to help the community, let alone at this level of competence. To see such strides for mental health support in the country and in the NHS is truly inspiring.”