Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs) work on behalf of local authorities to carry out a variety of functions under the Mental Health Act (MHA). One of their key responsibilities is to make applications for the detention of individuals in hospital, ensuring the MHA and its Code of Practice are followed.

If a person requires an MHA assessment because of an acute mental health episode and it is felt that they are at risk to themselves and/or others, a referral can be made to the AMHP team who can assess the situation at the person's home, in hospital, at the police station or at any other place of safety (in and out of hours).

It is the AMHP’s duty, when two medical recommendations have been made, to decide whether or not to make the application for the detention of a person who has been assessed under the MHA (also known as sectioning). This includes considering the correct legal frameworks (Mental Capacity Act, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards) and alternatives to admission, as well as ensuring that the patient is involved and that their nearest relatives are identified and included.

For all new and existing mental health patient services, please visit the relevant council website:

• Barnet
• Camden
• Enfield
• Haringey
• Islington

In-hours Professional Duty Team:

• available Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
• in Camden, undertakes all planned MHA assessments in the borough as well as emergency MHA assessments in A&E departments and police stations 

Out-of-hours Emergency Duty Team:

• available after 5pm and weekends
• deals with social service emergencies including MHA assessments, emergency only   
• in Camden, mainly assess patients in A&E and police stations, also available for a telephone consult

Mental Capacity Act template

The template was designed by a pan-London working group as part of the London GP MCA quality improvement project. To use the template, download the files from the IT Tools page.

How to Refer

Locations

Barnet AMHP

CANDI AMHP