Neurostimulation Therapy Suite

The Neurostimulation Therapy Suite (NTS) provides Electroconvulsive Therapy.

About this service

The Neurostimulation Therapy Suite is a dedicated suite located next to our Adult Mental Health Unit (AMHU). It provides access to Electroconvulsive Therapy, a procedure used to treat certain psychiatric conditions.

We work closely with our adult mental health units, community recovery services, private psychiatrists, families, carers, general practitioners, and community agencies to deliver exceptional patient care for people who require Electroconvulsive Therapy.

We are open between 7:30am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. We perform Electroconvulsive Therapy between 8am and 12pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, excluding public holidays.

Who we care for

We care for people in the community and those admitted to our Mental Health inpatient units who have been referred for Electroconvulsive Therapy by their psychiatrist. This includes emergency maintenance Electroconvulsive Therapy.

How to access this service

You need a referral from your psychiatrist to access this service. Your psychiatrist may be one of our Canberra Health Services psychiatrists, or they may be a community psychiatrist.

Your psychiatrist will contact us directly.

What to expect

If you have been referred to us for Electroconvulsive Therapy, we will review your referral and once accepted, your referring psychiatrist will ask you to sign a consent form for the procedure.

We’ll contact you with your scheduled date and time for Electroconvulsive Therapy. If you have any questions in relation to the procedure, please feel free to discuss this with us when we ring.

You may be asked not to take some of your medications the night before your procedure; this is a standard process when undergoing a procedure like Electroconvulsive Therapy.

You will also need to fast from midnight as you will be required to have a general anaesthetic before you undergo Electroconvulsive Therapy, this will be done under the care of an anaesthetist who will take care of you on the day.

Please do not wear jewellery or nail polish, and do not bring any valuables with you.

When you arrive at the Neurostimulation Therapy Suite, you will be able to sit in our waiting area. One of our Neurostimulation Therapy Suite nurses will see you and ask you some basic questions such as your name, date of birth and address to verify your identity. The nurse will also go through a pre-operation checklist with you and take some observations, they will also provide you with an armband with your details.

When the team is ready, you will be taken through to the Neurostimulation Therapy Suite where you will be provided with a bed and a warm blanket. The anaesthetist, the anaesthetic nurse, psychiatrist, a psychiatric registrar and the NTS nurse will be present with you to ensure you are as comfortable as possible before, during and after your procedure.

For the procedure, you will be given an intravenous cannula  which gives you anaesthesia for the procedure and the Anaesthetist will give you some oxygen so you can breathe through a mask.

You will then go to sleep for about 5-10 minutes and your Electroconvulsive Therapy treatment will be given to you while you are asleep.

Once you are awake, the staff will take your observations to ensure you are stable and comfortable and you will be transferred from the Neurostimulation Therapy Suite to the recovery bay where you will be cared for by the recovery nurse. You will be monitored here between 2-4 hours depending on how well you are recovering. We’ll give you  some light refreshments and the cannula will be removed before you go home.

We’ll let you know what to expect regarding your recovery and what you can and can’t do once you go home. This is important to ensure your safety and overall recovery.

When you are ready to go home, a responsible adult of your choice (family member, friend or carer) must accompany you home as you will not be able to drive. You may eat and drink as normal when you return home. A responsible adult will need to take care of you for at least 24 hours after Electroconvulsive Therapy.

What to bring to your appointment

• Medicare card
• Health Care Card and/or concession card (if you have one)
• Private health insurance card (if applicable/if you want to use it)

Where we’re located

Adult Mental Health Unit, Canberra Hospital.

We have directions and transport information for Canberra Hospital.