NHS Tayside, already the subject of a public inquiry over a rogue brain surgeon, has been accused of clinical negligence after admitting it failed to carry out proper checks on patients receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The health board did not conduct adequate assessments before or after the treatment, meaning doctors could not tell whether patients genuinely needed ECT, whether it was working, or whether they had suffered harmful side effects such as memory loss. Experts have condemned the lapse, with one clinical psychologist describing the missing checks as basic and crucial steps whose omission amounts to negligence.

A new report from the Scottish ECT Audit Network found that NHS Tayside administered ECT more frequently than any other Scottish health board in 2025, at a rate of 7.2 people per 100,000 population compared with 2.8 per 100,000 in neighbouring NHS Highland, yet failed to comply with clinical standards introduced in 2023. Pre-treatment cognitive assessments, required to establish a baseline for memory function, were not carried out in around a third of cases, while post-treatment reviews, required after every two sessions, were completed in only about 5 per cent of cases. NHS Tayside said it had since taken action, introducing new documentation in January to strengthen consistency and clinical oversight, and was now showing improved compliance.