Article 18 of the Saudi Mental Health Law

This Article places a documentation duty on members of the medical treatment team: they must record in the mental patient's file every treatment intervention carried out by any of them.

The text makes clear that:

• Scope: the duty covers "every" treatment intervention, not only major ones.
• Individual responsibility: each member of the team is responsible for recording what he does.
• Electroconvulsive therapy: the text states expressly that recording includes electroconvulsive therapy and its procedures, because of the importance of this type of treatment.
• Details: recording is as the Implementing Regulations explain, so the method and content of recording are set by the Implementing Regulations.

Documentation is a safeguard for the patient and the team alike: it lets the oversight bodies check that treatment was lawful, and it protects the patient's right to know what was given to him. This ties in with Article 17 on compulsory treatment care, where the two physicians' decisions and the treatment plan call for a clear record, and with Article 19, which requires explicit written consent before electroconvulsive therapy.

The Article sets no particular penalty for failing to record, so no provision that does not appear in it should be assumed.

If you have a specific case, it is best to consult a lawyer who specializes in health regulations and patients' rights.