Mental Health Act 2016

A doctor for an authorised mental health service may perform electroconvulsive therapy on a patient in the authorised mental health service if—

for a patient who is an adult—

if the adult is unable to give informed consent to the treatment or is subject to a treatment authority, forensic order or treatment support order—the tribunal has approved under section 509 the performance of the therapy on the adult; or

otherwise—the adult has given informed consent to the treatment; or

for a patient who is a minor—the tribunal has approved under section 509 the performance of the therapy on the minor.

If a doctor makes an application under section 507 to the tribunal for approval to perform the therapy on the patient, the doctor must, as soon as practicable after the application is made and to the extent practicable—

tell the patient the application has been made; and

explain the application to the patient.