Service : Out of Area Placement Service
Service overview
If you're experiencing a severe mental health incident and we're unable to support you locally in Prospect Park Hospital, we can refer you to one of our partner hospitals or care centres.
We understand that being brought into care during a challenging mental health situation can be distressing. At all times, we’ll make sure you’re safe and comfortable.
There are two types of out of area placements (OAPs) we can provide.
The first is a referral to secure specialist rehabilitation ward rooms. If you’ve been referred to us under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act, we may offer this service for your safety and the safety of others. We’ll help prepare you for life back in the community when you’re ready to leave.
Our second OAP type is known as Trial Section 17 Leave. Under the Mental Health Act, this means one of our care professionals can grant you a brief leave from hospital. This will be for a short amount of time only, and it will depend on your recovery progress.
If you’ve been referred to our team, we’ll work with you and your care professional and explain what will happen next. Any OAP decision we make with you will depend on a number of different things, such as:
- a clear medical reason why OAP is the best option for you
- positive expectations of how this placement will help you
- measures in place so we can monitor your situation
- steps to place you back in our hospital when it’s right to do so
Accessing our service
Unfortunately, we don’t accept self-referrals. Instead, referrals and the decision to arrange an out of area placement will be made by your care coordinator or consultant psychiatrist.
They can help answer any question you might have about why and how the referral is being made.
If you’re a care professional, you can use the following forms to refer your patient to us.
Documents for Berkshire-wide services
For use by care professionals only.
Funding application for out of area placement (OAP)
File size: 148KB
Section 17 (MHA) leave funding request form
File size: 106KB
Documents for services based in West Berkshire
For use by care professionals only.
Section 117 (MHA) matrix form guidelines
File size: 218KB
Section 117 (MHA) joint funding matrix formula
File size: 140KB
Section 117 (MHA) funding application form
File size: 103KB
Managing your health

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Learn moreContact us and FAQs
Prospect Park Hospital
Out of Area Placement Service
Contact number: 0778 670 5291 Available 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Email: mailbox.bhftoaps@berkshire.nhs.uk
Post Address: RG30 4EJ
Location detailsBed Management Service
The Bed Management Service can help with out-of-hours support for out of area placements.
Email: bedmanagement@berkshire.nhs.uk
Post Address: RG30 4EJ
Location detailsCrisis Response Team
If you need urgent mental health help, or you're concerned about someone, please contact our crisis team.
Contact number: 0300 365 9999
We can also help you with
Is there any information for friends, family and carers?
If you’re a family member/carer or you look after someone, there’s practical, financial, and emotional support available to you from a range of local communities and national organisations.
How do I request an interpreter?
We can provide language translation and interpretation support whenever you visit or contact us.
Tell our staff which language you prefer to use, and we will make sure the right communication support is in place for your assessment and treatment. Please let us know as early as possible so we can ensure the appropriate translation or interpreting support is available.
We offer a range of professional services to ensure everyone can understand and be understood:
- telephone interpreting
- video remote interpreting (VRI)
- face‑to‑face interpreting
- written translation
- British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting
How can I get information in an accessible format?
Anyone with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss has the right to receive information in a format that meets their needs. Under the Accessible Information Standard (AIS)—a legal requirement for all health and adult social care providers—we must ensure that people who use our services, including carers and families, can understand the information we provide and communicate effectively with us.
We can offer information in a range of accessible formats, including:
- British Sign Language (BSL)
- large print
- braille
- audio
- easy Read
- text message
- face‑to‑face support with a carer or advocate present
If you need information in any of these formats, please tell a member of our team and we will make sure your communication needs are met.
Are service dogs allowed to my appointment?
Yes. You are welcome to bring your registered service animal, such as a guide dog, hearing dog, medical alert dog, or other trained assistance dog to your appointment.
These animals are recognised as essential support and are permitted in most areas of our services.
To help us prepare, please let the team know before your appointment if you will be attending with a service animal. This allows us to make sure the environment is safe and comfortable for you, your animal, and other patients.
Please note that service animals may not be able to enter certain restricted clinical areas for safety or infection‑control reasons, but we will always work with you to find an appropriate alternative.
Treating our team with respect.
Respect is important.
We will be polite and kind and we expect that you treat our staff in the same way.
Abuse, hate and discrimination against our staff is unacceptable.
We will take strong action against anyone who is verbally, racially, physically, or sexually abusive to them.
This includes contacting the police to prosecute, and stopping future access to our healthcare services.

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