Nearly half of people with severe mental illnesses in Cornwall don’t receive all the crucial health checks they should, new figures show.

Those with conditions like schizophrenia, psychosis or personality disorders are likely to die up to 20 years earlier than the general population, the Centre for Mental Health said.

NHS England figures show 2,358 of all 4,297 patients on the severe mental illness register in the former NHS Kernow CCG area received all the required physical health check-ups in the year to March. This was equivalent to 55% – significantly up from 39% the year before.

Anyone on the register should be invited for an annual health check with their GP, which includes blood and urine tests, alcohol, smoking, and body mass index assessments.

It also offers them a chance to discuss their medication and vaccination status, along with any other physical health issues they are facing.

Across England, a record 361,210 patients suffering from severe mental illnesses received all the physical health checks. They accounted for 68% of all 527,556 registered, which was up by nearly a fifth from the previous year.

However, the NHS target was for 390,000 people to receive a full annual check in 2023-24, which was missed.

Andy Bell, chief executive at the Centre for Mental Health, said: “Tragically, people with severe mental illness have a 15-20 year shorter life expectancy than the general population. This is unacceptable, but it’s not inevitable.

“These lost years of life are largely caused by poor physical health, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

“Ensuring that people with severe mental illness receive an annual physical health check is a critical part of tackling this.”

He said the NHS has been working hard to expand access to this health check, but many people with severe mental illnesses face barriers to accessing healthcare – including finding it hard to leave the house, distrust of health services or anxiety about the check.

“Services can support people to access their check by offering practical, flexible support and reaching out to the people least likely to attend,” Mr Bell added.

Stuti Bagri, researcher at the Nuffield Trust, said: “There is less of a gap between different types of health checks, for example the proportion of people being assessed on smoking and blood glucose now, is closer than it was in previous years.”

The most common check in Cornwall was for smoking, with 82% of people undergoing the assessment, while the least attended was for alcohol consumption at 67%.

She added: “These checks are the first step in the right direction but hold little value if deployed alone.

“What happens next is crucial. If checks aren’t followed up by meaningful advice or intervention (which are not currently recorded), it’s difficult to know what the real impact is.”

An NHS England spokesperson said: “NHS staff are working incredibly hard to deliver more physical health checks and follow-up interventions for people with severe mental illness than ever before, with a record 360,000 people receiving checks last year.

“But there is more to do which is why NHS systems have been asked to fund outreach programmes to increase uptake of these checks and to ensure they have policies in place for patients who require intensive treatment for severe mental illness.”