The Role of the Approved Mental Health Professional: A ‘Fool’s Errand’?

This article explores the concept of a ‘fool’s errand’ in relation to the specialist role of the Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP). An AMHP has a duty to make an application following a Mental Health Act assessment to detain and admit an individual to a psychiatric hospital. Findings from a qualitative study of ten multiprofessional AMHPs in England suggested AMHPs were subjected to a ‘fool’s errand’, when they were asked by psychiatrists and bed managers to practice in a way, they, themselves, considered unwise or foolish and that did not make sense in the context of their role. The author will illuminate how false starts and delays in securing treatment and care outcomes for mentally unwell individuals compromised AMHP practice