AMHPs used ‘inappropriately’ throughout first Covid-19 lockdown, survey finds Survey also found confusion about PPE and legal and ethical reluctance to conduct mental health assessments using video technology Photo: Gary Brigden Approved mental health professionals (AMHPs) were used ‘inappropriately’ during the first wave of the pandemic because community services either closed down or were not seeing people face-to-face, a new survey has found. The survey findings, which also revealed confusion around the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), have prompted calls from a social work leader to bolster the health and safety of AMHPs, an older workforce with a significant number of Black Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) staff.