March 2021 the trust became the first of seven Community and Mental Health NHS trusts in England to achieve Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) accreditation. Bill Johnston, Associate Director of Digital Transformation, talked about what this accreditation means for our services and patients. “Being accredited as a GDE trust signals far more than the completion of the GDE programme. Accreditation identifies us as being a leader in digital capability to support improved clinical safety, patient and staff experience. We’re now recognised against an international standard of digital capability and maturity, and being the first Community & Mental Health NHS Trust to achieve this accolade is very special. Without the engagement and support of our clinical services the programme would not have delivered its goals or achieved accreditation, so a huge thank you goes out to all those involved either directly or indirectly in the GDE programme. We have used the learning and solid foundations gained from GDE programme, plus the feedback and requirements received from staff, to inform the digital strategy which will continue to build on our capability to further support clinical services to deliver outstanding care” Veterans Mental Health In July 2022 the trust received the Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, the highest level of accreditation bestowed by the Ministry of Defence. The award recognises the support provided to all those with a connection to the Armed Forces including reservists, veterans, cadet force adult volunteers and spouses/partner. Julian Emms, Chief Executive at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We’re delighted to be recognised with a Gold award, which reflects our long-term commitment to being a forces-friendly employer. The valuable skills and experience that veterans gain during their time in the forces is a real asset so it’s really important to us that we recognise their contribution and give veterans, reservists and their families every opportunity to build a fulfilling career at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Performance It was named by the Health Service Journal as one of the top hundred NHS trusts to work for in 2015. At that time it had 3532 full time equivalent staff and a sickness absence rate of 4%. 71% of staff recommend it as a place for treatment and 62% recommended it as a place to work. See also List of all Berkshire Healthcare Adult Mental Health and Community services List of NHS trusts Global Digital Exemplars (GDE) References External links Berkshire