Our commitment and progress
Learn moreWhy we're doing this
Learn moreMaking change happen
Learn moreMeet our anti-racism taskforce and join our CommUNITY
Learn moreRecognition
Learn moreOur commitment
We’re committed to becoming an anti-racist organisation.
This means finding and addressing racism in our services, systems, decisions, and culture.
Anti-racism is everyone’s responsibility.
We’re working with staff, communities, and partners to make change happen.
Our progress, since 2023
- More than 100 anti-racism activities have taken place with staff, communities, and partners
- Progressed 75 actions across five areas of work - and by April 2026, 49 were complete and 26 were still in progress
- Translation and interpretation fill rates improved from 59% to 98%, supporting access across more than 100 languages
- 45% of appointments to senior roles have been ethnically diverse candidates since we changed our senior recruitment process
- Staff feedback shows better engagement, improved views of career fairness, and reduced gaps in harassment, bullying, and abuse from colleagues
- Our Race Equality Network has grown, and the programme has received independent recognition through Race Equality Matters and community awards
Anti Racism Strategy
Download Anti Racism Strategy Update For June 2023
File size: 1.69 MB
pdf
Anti-Racism Strategy (update April 2026)
Download Anti-Racism Strategy (update April 2026)
File size: 1.21 MB
pdf
Why we're doing this
We know that people from ethnically diverse communities can experience poorer access to services, different experiences of care, and poorer health outcomes.
We also know that ethnically diverse colleagues can experience racism, discrimination, and barriers at work.
These inequalities are not acceptable, and won't change without deliberate action.
Together, we will continue working towards a fairer, more inclusive Berkshire Healthcare for our staff, patients, and communities.
Health Inequalities Strategy 2024 to 2026
Download Health Inequalities Strategy 2024 to 2026
File size: 2.8 MB
pdf
Community inequalities
National evidence shows clear and unacceptable ethnic inequalities in health outcomes across the UK.
South Asian people have a 40% higher death rate from coronary heart disease than the general population. In 2023, 26% of all deaths in the UK were caused by cardiovascular disease in Black, Asian, and minority ethnic groups. South Asian people are almost twice as likely to develop coronary heart disease than white groups.
Stroke is more common in Black people, who have a 1.5 to 2.5 times greater risk of having a stroke than white people.
Black women in the UK are nearly three times more likely to die during pregnancy than White women. Asian women face a 1.6 times higher risk, while women of mixed ethnicity are 1.3 times more likely to experience pregnancy-related mortality compared with White women.
People from Black African, African Caribbean and South Asian backgrounds, including Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
In the UK, African and Caribbean men are three times more likely to develop prostate cancer than White men of the same age. Although White women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, Black and South Asian women are less likely to survive a breast cancer diagnosis.
Black or Black British people experience the highest detention rates under the Mental Health Act. In 2023–24, the detention rate was over three and a half times the rate for White people. Community Treatment Order use was also highest for Black or Black British people, at over seven times the rate for White people. Black or Black British detainees also had the highest percentage of people detained more than once, at 17.9%.
Local challenges
There are challenges at our local level we're working to change, such as:
- disparities in referrals, access, and wait times by ethnicity, local authority, age or gender
- Black people are more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act in Berkshire, and the number of detentions varies by local authority and locality
- unexplained disparities in the number of people who do not attend appointments, by ethnicity
Colleague inequalities
Our latest workforce race equality report (up to 2025), shows our ethnically diverse colleagues facing challenges in their day to day work
Ethnically diverse colleagues were around 1.8 times more likely than White colleagues to say they had been bullied, harassed or abused by patients, relatives or members of the public: 30.2% compared with 16.5%.
Ethnically diverse colleagues were around 2.2 times more likely than White colleagues to say they had been discriminated against at work by a manager, team leader or another colleague: 10.7% compared with 4.8%.
Ethnically diverse colleagues were around 1.5 times more likely than White colleagues to go through a formal disciplinary process. This has improved since the year before, when they were around two times more likely, but there is still a gap.
White candidates were around 1.5 times more likely to get a job after being shortlisted than ethnically diverse candidates.
How we’re making change happen
Improving access, experience, and outcomes
We have worked with communities and partners to understand barriers and improve people’s access, experience, and outcomes.
We are:
- creating the CommUNITY Anti-Racism Forum, and Equity Partnership Group
- building partnerships with Slough CVS, ACRE Reading, and other community partners
- improving translation and interpretation fill rates from 59% to 98%
- developing resources on skin tone bias, multi-faith awareness, and culturally sensitive care
- using service improvement projects to address inequalities
Learning, engagement, and awareness
We have helped people build confidence to talk about race, understand racism and take action.
This has included:
- creating learning resources, discussion spaces and co-produced scenarios
- introducing regular Holding Space to Talk About Race sessions
- expanding engagement through Black History Month, South Asian Heritage Month, Interfaith Week, Windrush Day and other programmes
- delivering more than 100 engagement activities between 2023 and 2026
Supporting colleagues and responding to racism
We have strengthened how we prevent, respond to and learn from racism.
This has included:
- updating No Abuse standards and guidance
- improving reporting routes and feedback mechanisms
- creating Speak Up About Racism and Dealing with Racism resources
- strengthening support after incidents
- training managers, investigators and decision makers
- re-establishing the Prospect Park Advocacy for Racial Equity Team
Fair recruitment, progression, and opportunity
We have changed senior recruitment and improved how we use workforce data to help understand and reduce barriers to career progression.
This has included:
- introducing fairer processes for senior recruitment
- using workforce and pay data to better understand barriers
- checking who can access learning and development opportunities
- appointing ethnically diverse candidates to 45% of senior roles since the changes began
Anti-racist policy and practice
We are building anti-racism into everyday decisions so that our teams can spot inequalities earlier and take action.
This has included:
- strengthening equality checks when services or policies change
- developing the Positive Practice Guide
- adding anti-racism goals to service plans
- improving equality data, reporting and learning
What we're still working on
- Increasing senior representation for ethnically diverse colleagues
- Reducing gaps in discipline, development, and career progression
- Improving how we respond to racism and abuse
- Reducing inequalities in patient access, experience, and outcomes
- Showing communities how working together leads to visible action
Anti-Racism Taskforce and accountability
Our Anti-Racism Taskforce monitors progress and helps us stay accountable. It checks what is changing and what else we need to do to close gaps.
A dedicated team responsible for driving positive change and fostering an inclusive, equitable and antiracist organisational culture.
Our aims
- Develop an anti-racism strategy
- Advocate for resources to execute the anti-racism strategy effectively
- Establish a system for reporting on progress on anti-racism initiatives
- Assess policies and procedures to identify biases and discriminatory practices
- Raise awareness about racism, privilege, and unconscious bias
- Create mechanisms for colleagues to express concerns and provide feedback
You can also join our CommUNITY Forum, which is safe and empowering space where voices are heard, ideas are welcomed, and real change takes place.
Meet our members and read their aims for our taskforce.
Recognition
Our anti-racism and equity work has been recognised through external case studies, awards, and national forums.
These opportunities allow us to contribute to wider learning across the NHS and beyond, while also reflecting on our own progress.
We're a Race Equality Matters (REM) Trailblazer
We’re proud to have been awarded the Race Equality Matters (REM) Silver Trailblazer Status. This award recognises our ongoing commitment to being an anti-racist organisation.
We achieved Silver status, which is valid for two years and is currently the highest available award.
The application process involved evidencing initiatives, strategies, and engagement with senior leaders and our ethnically diverse colleagues.
This award highlights our collaboration with our Race Equality Network and our work on educational development, improved reporting, creation of the anti-racism taskforce and our leadership led workstreams.
NHS Alliance case study
NHS Alliance independent membership body that represents and supports the health and care system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Visit their website to read our National ethnicity pay gap case study.
Berkshire Healthcare’s Cecily Mwaniki awarded Honorary Doctorate
In recognition of more than 25 years of work improving access to health services, strengthening community partnerships, and addressing health inequalities across Berkshire.
Berkshire Healthcare and our Deputy CEO recognised for amplifying our communities’ voice
We’re proud to have been recognised for our contribution to community health and equity at the 2025 Reading Grassroot Community Awards.
Thames Valley Mental Health Provider Collaborative Executive Position Statement – June 2026
In 2026/27, the focus is on delivering a small number of high-impact programmes that improve access, reduce unwarranted variation, strengthen pathways and ensure consistent, best value use of system resources.
Thames Valley Mental Health Provider Collaborative Executive Position Statement – June 2026: Read more
Public Board Meeting - 8 September 2026
Our next public Board meeting of 2026 will take place on Tuesday 8 September
Public Board Meeting - 8 September 2026: Read more
Introducing our new Research Strategy
Berkshire Healthcare has launched its new Research Strategy, setting out how research will help us improve care, reduce health inequalities and support better outcomes for the people and communities we serve.
Introducing our new Research Strategy: Read more
What’s growing in Slough’s Secret Garden?
When you’re rushing through the busy corridors of Upton hospital in Slough, you’d never know that just beyond the doors of the Memory Clinic, there’s a secret garden. You’ll find a vegetable patch, a flower garden, a peaceful, sunny corner, and a bench with a view.
What’s growing in Slough’s Secret Garden?: Read more
Berkshire Healthcare’s Cecily Mwaniki awarded Honorary Doctorate
In recognition of more than 25 years of work improving access to health services, strengthening community partnerships, and addressing health inequalities across Berkshire.
Berkshire Healthcare’s Cecily Mwaniki awarded Honorary Doctorate: Read more
Berkshire Healthcare and our Deputy CEO recognised for amplifying our communities’ voice
We’re proud to have been recognised for our contribution to community health and equity at the 2025 Reading Grassroot Community Awards.
Berkshire Healthcare and our Deputy CEO recognised for amplifying our communities’ voice: Read more