Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) Service
What happens during a Mental Health Act assessment
An Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) will carry out the assessment alongside authorised doctors. This might be at the person’s home, a hospital if an in-patient, Accident and Emergency (A&E) or other place of safety.
Our role is to make sure all alternatives to detaining someone in hospital have been considered. To help us decide this, we consult with professionals involved in the person’s care, the family members and carers to seek their views.
The AMHP will attempt to speak to the person's nearest relative. There are some instances where a person's nearest relative can object to the AMHP making an application to detain the person in hospital, so their views are extremely important.
During the assessment the AMHP will make sure that the person being assessed is fully informed about what is happening. The AMHP will make sure the person is able to participate as fully as they can in the assessment and that their views and wishes are listened to. Family members or carers can also be present if the person being assessed wants them to be.
The AMHP and doctors will ask the person some questions to help them understand what the person is going through and how best to help them. The AMHP and doctors will also be trying to establish whether the person is suffering from a mental disorder and whether any risks mean that hospital admission is necessary.
After the assessment
The AMHP will explain the outcome of the assessment to the person being assessed. If a decision is made to detain the person in hospital the AMHP will make sure the person understands the reasons for this decision and what this means. The AMHP will talk to the person about their legal rights under the Mental Health Act (MHA).
If detention under the MHA is necessary, we will make sure the person and their family understand the reason for the decision and explain their legal rights under the Mental Health Act.
The AMHP will also inform the nearest relative of the outcome of the assessment, the reasons for the decision and the nearest relative's rights under the MHA
Where hospital admission is necessary, the doctor will contact the NHS Mental Health Trust's bed management team to request that a bed be identified. The bed management team will inform the AMHP of the hospital where the bed has been identified.
Once a bed is confirmed the AMHP can complete their application to detain the person to that hospital. The AMHP will decide for the admission and for the most appropriate transport to the hospital.
Throughout this process the AMHP will consider any risks to the person or to others and will ensure the person is treated with dignity and respect.
Page last reviewed: 31 January 2025
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