Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHP) Service

Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs) help anyone whose difficulties mean that they cannot agree to an assessment or treatment in hospital for a mental disorder.

AMHPs arrange and conduct assessments for service users under the Mental Health Act and must adhere to the statutory roles and responsibilities that this dictates.

An assessment under the Mental Health Act usually requires two doctors and an AMHP. The AMHP’s role during this assessment is to bring a social perspective while also ensuring that the person is assessed legally.

Refer someone to the AMHP service

• between 8am and 5pm, call 03000 42 24 80
• out of hours, call 03000 41 91 91.

The Kent AMHP service is operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Outside of normal working hours they will continue to respond to urgent Mental Health Act assessments which would usually come under the support of the Medway AMHP service.

There is more information available to help explain the Mental Health Act and the process of being admitted to a psychiatric hospital.