The South West Peninsula includes the English counties of Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall & Isles of Scilly.

It is an isolated region, with over 600 miles of coastline. We have no major metropolitan centres, with Bristol, our nearest major city to the north, a nine-hour round trip from Penzance.  

Our population of 2.2m people are scattered across large rural areas and coastal towns, resulting in the lowest population density in England with over 44% of the population living in rural areas (in comparison to 17% nationally). Some of these areas are amongst the most deprived areas in the country. The expansive geography and lack of major urban centres results in significant challenges in access to specialist care, such as emergency services (e.g. travel time to a Type 1 Emergency Department is twice the national average), maternity and mental health services, as well as delays in cancer screening and early diagnosis.

We have a rapidly growing older population (nearly two in three will be over sixty-five by 2045) – especially in Cornwall and Devon, due to the number of retirees and elderly residents. Our population is on average six years older than that of England.  

There are stark inequalities due to high levels of economic inactivity, low incomes, and poor health especially in coastal towns. And some of the lowest levels of investment in health care research and innovation in the country.  

In combination, these create challenges and shape the impact we have, distinct from our urban and suburban counterparts.