Lifestyle and health advice services in the borough have been brought together under one support system – known as ‘One You’ Cheshire East.

The integrated system will work to improve residents’ health, tackle health inequalities and reduce the load on the council and NHS.

It will focus on early intervention to help residents avoid future ill-health by supporting them to drink less alcohol, eat well, lose weight, move more and be smoke free.

Help and advice will be provided in a range of ways, including a dedicated website and lifestyle support staff. The services offered will be flexible and tailored to each individual’s needs.

Councillor Paul Bates, cabinet member for communities and health at Cheshire East Council, said: “Our vision is to provide support to enable residents to live well for longer by helping them to address the factors that affect their health and wellbeing earlier and through preventative behaviour change.

“By bringing the help and support under one umbrella, it will make it easier and quicker for our residents to access information and improve their health, as well as increase cost-effectiveness.”

‘One You’ is one of the largest Public Health England campaigns and encourages adults to take control of their health to enjoy significant benefits now and in later life.

Everyday habits and behaviours – such as eating too much unhealthy food, drinking more alcohol than is recommended, continuing to smoke and not being active enough – are responsible for around 40 per cent of all deaths in England and cost the NHS more than £11 billion a year.

The stakeholder launch of ‘One You Cheshire East’, which Peaks and Plains has been commissioned to deliver, took place today and the public launch is scheduled for mid-January.

Residents will be able to access the services via self-referral and referrals from a health or social care professional.

Support to stop smoking will be delivered by a number of community providers – Well Pharmacies, Rowland Pharmacies, Healthbox and Wirral Community Trust – while specialist stop smoking services for clients in hospital settings, pregnant women and people with mental health issues will be provided by Kickstart.

Everybody Sport and Recreation, the trust that manages the council’s leisure centres, will deliver the programmes to help residents eat well, lose weight and move more.

Mark Palethorpe, strategic director of adult social care and health at Cheshire East Council, said: “This integrated support system will help people to make lifestyle changes that can make a huge difference to their health both now and in the future.

“By being able to tailor the support given to residents, it will ensure they get the right help and advice in a way that works best for them.”

While One You Cheshire East is a borough-wide service, the team will be focusing on improving the health of people in areas of the biggest health inequality

Services will have access criteria, but information will be available to help those not eligible to improve their health through the dedicated website and lifestyle support workers.

The One You Cheshire East website can be found at: www.oneyoucheshireeast.org