Join our Annual Summit 2025 - Mental Health Closing the Gaps
Annual Summit 2025: Mental Health – Closing the Gaps
Our Summit, held on Wednesday 8th October 2025 at the Delta Marriott Hotel Huntingdon, will place mental health firmly under the microscope.
Opened by Brigadier Tim Seal TD DL, the HM Vice Lord-Lieutenant, and followed by a personal case study from Louis Smith MBE, retired Olympic Gymnast and local resident, the event will bring together over 200 people consisting of members of the public with lived experience, and leading healthcare professionals and NHS decision makers.
Our varied and interactive Summit programme includes guest speakers providing national and local perspectives, a Question Time panel of experts, and collaborative workshops which will seek to identify ways to improve mental health services.
Speakers include:
- Louis Smith MBE, Retired Olympic Gymnast and local resident
- Sarah Hughes, CEO, MIND charity
- Steve Grange, CEO, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS
- Jonathan Wells, former carer and advocate
- Dr Helen Gilbert, Policy Team, The King's Fund
Question Time Panel Q&A:
- Matt Gladstone, CEO, Peterborough City Council
- Jan Thomas, CEO, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board
- Jess Slater, CEO, Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
- Jonathan Jelley MBE JP, Chair Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Current challenges in mental health services
Earlier this year, a new survey from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), polling over 14,000 people who accessed community mental health services, found that 4 in 10 are waiting too long for care.
Other key findings included:
- A third of people (33%) waited 3 months or more for their first treatment
- 4 in 10 people (42%) said their mental health deteriorated while waiting for care
- People who waited longer were more likely to report that their mental health got worse
Recent research from charity MIND has also shown that 75% of children and young people who experience mental health problems aren’t getting the help they need.
The CQC’s report highlighted that more young people using Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) reported needing support in accessing care than last year (30% in 2024 compared with 22% in 2023).
More than a third of young people who accessed crisis care said they didn’t get the help they needed.
What the public told us
Spotlighting mental health forms a key part of our 2025-2030 strategy; a strategy created from what you told us is most important.
Our public engagement sessions with residents from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough showed us that you want to see mental health on an equal footing with physical health. You said patients need:
- Better service experiences
- Clearer information on what to expect
- Services co-produced with those who have lived experience.
Our Annual Summit 2025
Looking at what works well and what needs improvement in our local mental health services is one of the top priorities; the Summit will provide a platform for discussions around designing services that work better for everyone.
Speaking about the event, Jess Slater, CEO of Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, says:
"Far too many people are still falling through the cracks when it comes to mental health care, and that’s not good enough. Our Summit is a rallying call for change. It’s about listening to those with lived experience, challenging the system where it fails, and building services that truly care, respond, and people receive the services they need. Together, we have the power to close the gaps and create a future where no one is left behind."
There will be the opportunity to share your experiences in focused breakout sessions and during our Q&A panel session with mental health experts.
Whether you are a member of the public or a representative of an organisation, everyone is welcome at our free, friendly in-person event.
Agenda: the full agenda will be published here shortly.
Venue: Venue: Delta Marriott Hotel, Huntingdon, PE29 6FL
Time: 9:15am - 3pm
Registration details will be live on this page soon.
