FOI release
Reference: FOI2026/00061
Case reference FOI2026/00491
Received 5 May 2026
Published 6 July 2026
Request
Reference: FOI2026/00061 Subject: UK Yellow Card reports concerning electroconvulsive devices (ECT) from 1 January 2018 up to and including 2 February 2026 I am taking up this FOI request on behalf of Mr. Brian Daniels (in copy). Thank you for providing attached documents (reference: FOI2026/00061) in response to our query. I would like to follow up on the results presented in Table_01 (attached) provided by MHRA. There are three deaths cited under IMDRF code F02, although one of these seems to be a duplicate, so for our purposes let us assume two deaths in the period from 1 January 2018 up to and including 2 February 2026. We have been able to determine the total number of patients (England-wide) receiving ECT treatment during abovementioned period ( this data can be downloaded here; as an example for year 2024-2025 see : https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2024-25) All procedures Finished consultant episodes Admissions 2018 2019 2396 572 380 2019 2020 1840 550 336 2020 2021 1263 443 276 2021 2022 1681 543 366 2022 2023 1357 415 250 2023 2024 1433 397 239 2024 2025 1365 579 407 total 2254 Looking at the table, we see that there were 2254 total admissions to such treatment between 2018 and 2024. For two deaths, this would suggest, roughly, a 1 in 1000 chance of death under this treatement. To put this in perspective: A 1 in 1,000 chance of death (0.1%) is considered extremely high risk by everyday standards. Looking at actuarial statistics on we find at 0.1% chance of death corresponds to * Front-line combat exposure over a limited period * Early experimental medical trials with significant unknowns * Unregulated extreme adventure activities (historically) From an institutional perspective: * Public safety regulators: unacceptable * Workplace safety standards: catastrophic * Medical ethics: far beyond acceptable risk for non-therapeutic benefit * Insurance: typically uninsurable without massive premiums We looked further into where 1 in 1,000 begins to appear: * Aggressive chemotherapy in advanced cancer * High-risk cardiac or neurosurgery * Organ transplantation (peri-operative period) * Experimental or compassionate-use treatments * Severe trauma or ICU-level interventions The above is considered acceptable only if: * The patient faces near-certain death or severe disability without treatment * There is no safer alternative * Fully informed consent is obtained What is the MHRA's risk assessment for ECT treatment, and is it consistent with the Yellow Card reporting since 2018. Please provide documentation if available. If we have misinterpreted the data shown in the table above, we are happy to be corrected.
Response
See attached
Documents
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