For professionals

Our website provides reliable, accessible information about Berkshire Healthcare services. It’s designed to help you direct people to the right support quickly. Our aim is to also reduce confusion and make it easier for the public to understand how and where to get help.

You can use the website for:

• clear service information – what each service does, who it’s for, and how to refer
• patient-friendly explanations of conditions, treatment pathways, and community resources
• up-to-date contact details for teams across Berkshire Healthcare
• leaflets and guidance that you can share directly with patients, families, and carers
• accessibility-ready content, including translation support and Easy Read formats

Signposting to the right service

Our service pages include simple eligibility information and access routes. Sharing direct links with patients or carers helps reduce misunderstandings and ensures they receive the correct, latest information.

• Our services

Supporting self-management and early help

We have a number of advice pages about mental and physical health conditions and topics. You can use these to support people who do not need urgent treatment.

• Advice and resources

Explaining care pathways

The website includes plain English descriptions of what to expect from our services.

This is useful for:

• preparing people for assessment or treatment
• helping carers understand what will happen next
• setting shared expectations across organisations

Providing trusted written information

Our documents and pages are reviewed regularly and meet recognised accessibility standards. Using them will help keep messages clear, avoid confusion, and prevent outdated information being shared.

Supporting multidisciplinary working

When professionals across different organisations use the same information source, it makes it easier to work in partnership. It reduces duplication and makes things clearer for people who access multiple services.

Many Berkshire Healthcare services accept referrals directly from GPs, social care teams, other NHS organisations, and voluntary or community professionals.

You can use the website to:

• check referral criteria to ensure the service is appropriate
• confirm required information and documentation before submitting a referral
• download standard referral forms, where applicable
• verify the correct referral routes, including e-RS, email, secure transfer, or community pathways
• share pre-referral advice with patients or carers so they know what to expect

Each service page clearly sets out:

• who can refer
• how to refer (including links to forms or e-RS listings)
• what information is required
• any exclusions or alternative pathways

This helps reduce unnecessary delays and ensures people are directed to the right support first time.

• Our services

• Share links to live pages, rather than copying text into your own materials.
• Encourage people to use the translation and accessibility tools available on most pages.
• If signposting digitally (SMS, email, portal messages), link directly to the specific service page rather than the homepage.
• Check for existing official documents before creating your own.
• Use the site to confirm referral criteria, opening times, and locations when discussing options with people.

You may find the site especially useful when working with people who:

• are unsure which service they need
• want to understand how local mental health or community services work
• prefer written information to take away
• need reassurance about what will happen next
• want help managing symptoms at home
• are new to the area and unfamiliar with local NHS services

If you notice outdated information or feel something is missing that would support you or the public, please contact the website team through our 'Contact us' page. We welcome input from partners across health and social care.

• Report an issue with the website
• Contact us