Who Are the Experts? The Changing Landscape of Mental Health in the UK
Tuesday, 01 September 2026, 6pm to 7.30pm
Oxford Town Hall
Panel event discussing who is considered an expert on mental health, along with a public Q&A
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Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net).
EVENT DESCRIPTION
Transformations in the concept and sources of mental health ‘expertise’ are impacting how we think about diagnosis, identity, need and treatment. At the same time, the UK is experiencing an unparalleled surge in people seeking mental health support, with lengthy waitlists and significant inequalities in access to services.
Our public event asks: What kinds of expertise should we trust to identify, support and treat mental health needs? Speakers will address some difficult challenges: Is traditional medical expertise still relevant in an age of self-diagnosis through social media? How should other forms of expertise, e.g. AI chatbots and lived experience, figure in how we design future mental health support and policy? Will a more liberal perspective on ‘expertise’ help tackle the problem of inequalities in mental health access and support? How should we handle disagreements among such experts?
SPEAKER INFORMATION
Chair: Professor Ilina Singh
Keynote: Dr David Crepaz-Keay, Head of Research and Applied Learning, Mental Health Foundation.
Speakers- Professor Sir Simon Wessely, Regius Professor of Psychiatry, King’s College London.
More to be confirmed.
PROGRAMME
Time: 18.00-19.30
Following short keynotes from speakers who represent different points of view, members of the NeurOx Young People's Advisory Group will respond and ask some questions of the panel.
This will be followed by a general audience Q&A.
BOOKING INFORMATION
Please book your place via Eventbrite. This event is free and everyone is welcome.