Service : Wound Management Service

Service overview

We offer specialist advice and treatment if you’re suffering from a skin ulcer or a complex wound that is difficult to heal.

We work alongside other healthcare professionals involved in your care to make sure that your wounds get the best treatment possible. They will refer to us if their assessment of your wound leads them to think that you need specialist advice and treatment.

Our first review will be done remotely, using photos and notes provided in your referral. We will visit you if we think it’s necessary.

We’ll then talk with you about your personal treatment options.

As part of our service, we also provide training for healthcare professionals on treating various types of wounds.

Accessing our service

Our service is available to anyone registered with a Berkshire GP or currently admitted to an inpatient unit run by Berkshire Healthcare.

We accept referrals from healthcare professionals, such as district nurses, practice nurses, and care home nurses, via the Integrated Hub.

Healthcare professionals who aren’t employed by Berkshire Healthcare can request access to our referral form, which includes our referral criteria, by emailing the Berkshire Integrated Hub.

Healthcare professionals employed by Berkshire Healthcare can access the referral form via our intranet page.

Referrals are reviewed as soon as possible (usually within two working days).

Referral Criteria

Contact information must be provided, including an e-mail address (constantly monitored) and telephone number.
The service will accept patients of all ages.
The wound must be on or above the malleolus. Wounds below the malleolus must be referred to Podiatry. Diabetic foot ulcers should be treated as urgent.
The wound must have been assessed by a registered healthcare professional prior to referral.
Leg ulcer and Doppler assessments must have been completed within the last 8 weeks where relevant. If ABPI is not possible, contact the Tissue Viability Service before submitting you referral.

Completing a referral form

Wherever possible, please submit your referral as an electronic document, not hand written and scanned.

The referral form must be fully completed with all relevant information present. Every field should be completed, enter “N/A” if the information is not relevant to the referral.

Photographs should be included, one of which should be a close-up, showing the wound bed and surrounding skin, and another, from further away, should show the wound or damaged area in relation to the rest of the limb/body. Photographs should be of good quality to enable assessment, not scans, photos of photos or photos of a device screen. They must be pasted at the end of the referral document as the Hub will not accept them as separate attachments.

Once received from the Hub, the referral will be triaged as soon as possible (Mon – Fri excl. bank holidays), this may include a phone call or e-mail to the referrer with advice.

Send referrals to our Integrated Hub.

Please note: Patients who have been identified as having critical ischemia need a direct GP referral to a vascular consultant.

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Contact us and FAQs

Berkshire Integrated Hub

Contact number: 0300 365 1234

Email: integratedhub@berkshire.nhs.uk For use by healthcare professionals only.

Location details

Wokingham Hospital

Wound Management (Tissue Viability) Service.

Email: tissueviability@berkshire.nhs.uk For use by healthcare professionals only. Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm, excluding Bank Holidays.

Post Address: RG41 2RE

Frequently asked questions

What is a skin ulcer?

Skin ulcers are open sores which form when a break in the skin doesn’t heal properly, exposing the tissue underneath. If you have mobility problems, you’re at particular risk of pressure ulcers (also known as pressure sores or bed sores).

I think I might have Sepsis?

If you have a wound or break in the skin on your foot and you have suddenly developed symptoms associated with Sepsis.

Please call 999 or attend your nearest A&E.

You can find out what Sepsis is and the symptoms by visiting the NHS website.

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
email
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.