Mental Health Summit
The Cornwall Mental Health Summit, is being convened by Cllr Leigh Frost, Leader of Cornwall Council.
The Summit will be on Friday 30 October, 2026.
The Summit will be live-streamed on the Council's Facebook and YouTube channels.
The Cornwall Mental Health Summit will bring together the authorities, agencies and organisations involved in mental health services and supporting people in mental distress in Cornwall. The Summit will bring together key people, with the ability to identify and help deliver solutions to the ongoing issues Cornwall is dealing with, for an open conversation.
Cllr Leigh Frost, Leader of Cornwall Council, convened the Summit.
Leigh said: "Mental health and wellbeing affects every community, every family and every generation. This summit will provide an opportunity to hear directly from experts, listen to residents and work together with partners on our shared ambition to improve mental wellbeing across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly."
Purpose and intended outcomes
At a high level, the proposal is that the summit:
- Provides a clear, evidence-based overview of mental health, mental wellbeing and suicide prevention in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
- Raises awareness of the factors that influence mental wellbeing across the life course, including housing, employment, community connection, poverty and discrimination.
- Creates an opportunity for residents to ask questions directly of experts and decision makers.
- Builds a shared understanding of the challenges, opportunities and responsibilities across the whole system.
- Supports development of a Cornwall Mental Health Declaration.
- Positions Cornwall Council in a visible leadership and convening role on one of the most important issues facing residents.
The key principle is that this should not be a summit designed to produce a new action plan. Significant work is already underway through the Director of Public Health Annual Report, the Mental Health Strategy refresh and the Suicide Prevention Strategy review. The summit should complement and strengthen these programmes rather than duplicate them.
Chair / MC
The Cornwall Mental Health Summit live Q&As will be chaired by Seb Noble (BBC Spotlight's political reporter). To ensure the concerns of residents are being heard, Seb will put questions to the Panel that represent the main themes raised by residents who submit their question via Let's Talk Cornwall. Some residents may be invited to attend the Summit's live Questions and Answers session to ask their question in person.
Panel
The Members of the Panel will include senior representation from across the health and care system in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.
Background to the Summit
Mental health affects us all. It influences how we cope with life, build relationships, work, learn and take part in our communities. Yet many people across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are experiencing increasing pressures that affect their wellbeing.
Some of the challenges facing Cornwall include:
- On average, 77 people die by suicide each year in Cornwall, and suicide rates remain higher than the national average. Many of those who die have never been in contact with specialist mental health services.
- People living with severe mental illness can die 15 to 20 years earlier than the general population, and Cornwall has a higher proportion of adults experiencing severe mental illness and premature death than the national average.
- Demand for mental health support is rising across all age groups, particularly among children and young people. Contacts with mental health services for under-25s have increased substantially in recent years.
- Depression is becoming more common, with the proportion of adults recorded as living with depression in Cornwall more than doubling over the last decade.
- Nearly 1 in 5 adults report high levels of anxiety, while many people also face pressures linked to housing, low incomes, fuel poverty, caring responsibilities, loneliness and social isolation
What local people told us
Through public engagement over the last 12 months, residents consistently said that good mental health is supported by:
- Strong relationships and social connections
- Feeling part of a community
- Financial security and stable housing
- Having purpose, routine and meaningful activity
- Access to support before problems reach crisis point
At the same time, people described barriers including stigma, difficulties accessing support, rural isolation, cost-of-living pressures and the cumulative impact of everyday stresses.
Why prevention matters
Mental health is shaped not only by healthcare services but also by the conditions in which people live. Safe housing, good jobs, strong communities, education, transport, and opportunities to connect with others all play an important role in helping people stay mentally well. The evidence shows that Cornwall cannot rely on treatment alone; preventing distress and supporting wellbeing earlier is essential if we are to reduce inequalities, prevent avoidable harm and save lives.
A positive message
Cornwall also has many strengths. Local communities, voluntary organisations, schools, employers and health services are already working together to support wellbeing. By building on these strengths and investing in prevention, we can help more people to start well, live well and age well.
The Director of Public Health Annual Report 2026 will be shared at Cabinet on 23 September 2026 and Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 30 September 2026.
Updated and refreshed versions of the all-age Mental Health Needs Assessment and Suicide Prevention Strategy are in development.
Questions for the Panel
Questions for the Panel will close at 9am on Monday 5 October, 2026.
The Panel won't be able to answer or address every question during the Summit. The questions submitted will be reviewed for recurring themes. The questions asked at the Summit will be representative of those themes.
We may invite some residents to attend the Summit to ask their question in person.
