New healthy lifestyles provider to offer more bespoke support
As part of the council’s legal duty to improve the health and wellbeing of local people and reduce health inequalities, we provide a healthy lifestyles service.
From 1 April 2024, a new provider, ABL Health Ltd, will run the service in Gloucestershire. ABL is an experienced, community-based, behaviour change organisation. The new £1.13 million contract will run for an initial 5 years, with the option to extend it for up to a further 4 years.
ABL will offer one-to-one coaching support to help people make a lifestyle change, such as increasing their physical activity levels, reducing alcohol, stopping smoking, or managing their weight.
Since the healthy lifestyles service was first put in place in 2017, there has been an increase in weight management support available in the county, including the NHS Digital Weight Management offer. Therefore, after a public consultation, the healthy lifestyles service will change the weight management offer from a referral to Slimming World to focus on bespoke, targeted help for those people who face the greatest challenges in managing their weight.
Cllr Mark Hawthorne, leader of Gloucestershire County Council and cabinet member for public health and communities, said: “I’m delighted to be working with ABL on our healthy lifestyles service. The major causes of early death are all linked to lifestyle factors such as smoking, too much alcohol, poor diet, and not being active enough. A change in lifestyle can not only help people live longer, but to remain independent and in good health as they age.”
Holly McEneaney, Chief Operating Officer at ABL Health, said: “ABL Heath are delighted to have been awarded the contract for Gloucestershire. We believe in the power of making health in the community a priority and recognise that many people have barriers to achieving a healthy lifestyle. Our integrated wellbeing service will support the people of Gloucestershire to lose weight, get more active, drink less alcohol and stop smoking, as well as offering support to pregnant women to make lifestyle changes such as stopping smoking and eating a healthy diet.”
The healthy lifestyles service for adults is provided in addition to a £3.6 million healthier lifestyles service for children and families who want support to manage their weight, run by BeeZee Bodies.
Visit Healthy Lifestyles Gloucestershire for more information on the support available.