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Date:
21 November 2006
Category:
Module 5: Consent to Treatment
Question:
1. Do the MHC rules Governing the use of ECT apply to all patients whether voluntary or involuntary and therefore should the ECT consent forms be used for everyone.
2. In regards to the proposed anaesthetist assistant role, is this envisaged that this will be a general trained nurse or a registered psychiatric nurse with special training?
Answer:
The MHC rules governing the use of ECT apply to a patient, which is defined in the MHA 2001 as a person subject to an admission order.
Please refer to the preamble of the rules governing the use of ECT for a description of the anaesthetic assistant.
In 2 years from the date of commencement of Section 59, the Commission will be prescribing a rule requiring an anaesthetic assistant to be present during ECT treatment and recovery, whose sole responsibility is to assist the anaesthetist during the ECT treatment sessions. The anaesthetic assistant would be required to have successfully completed a placement of at least six weeks duration in a department of anaesthesia recognised by the College of Anaesthetists RCSI. The anaesthetic assistant may be a registered nurse or other assistant experienced in anaesthesia and must also hold a qualification in Healthcare Professional Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation. The anaesthetic assistant position must be in place by 1st November 2008. The Commission will monitor preparations for this rule in the course of inspections in 2007.
