People living with severe mental illness face one of the greatest health equality gaps in England. Their life expectancy is 15–20 years shorter than that for the general population, and this disparity is largely due to preventable physical illnesses.

In this podcast, Dr Thomas Round discusses physical health in people with severe mental illness with Professor Carolyn Chew-Graham, a Professor of General Practice Research at Keele University and a GP in Manchester and Dr David Shiers, Honorary Research Consultant at Psychosis Research Unit and a former GP in North Staffordshire, who became involved in the early intervention reform after his daughter’s experience of a severe psychotic illness.