NICE (UK National Institute for Clinical Excellence) sets ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) standards:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The UK's National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recommended that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) be considered for use in certain circumstances by the NHS in England and Wales. ECT will be considered when seeking a rapid and short-term improvement of severe symptoms of severe depressive illness, catatonia and prolonged or severe manic episodes. The guidance has been issued following the recent dismissal of a challenge to its approval (see Clinica No 1053, p 6). In 1999, the NHS administered ECT around 20,000 times.