A PIONEERING partnership could soon be helping West Wiltshire people switch on to healthier lifestyles.

West Wiltshire District Council and West Wiltshire Primary Care Trust have appointed a jointly funded public health consultant.

Femi Oduneye has been employed to look at all aspects of healthy living from road safety to ensuring people have equal access to the services they need.

He said: "Healthy living is not just about accessing medical services, there are a whole range of issues that impact upon health and quality of life and many of these are dealt with through the district council.

"Working together in partnership means we can take a much wider view of health based issues and do so with less bureaucracy."

His work will also look at health-related issues like smoking a high risk factor in such killers as strokes and heart disease and encouraging people to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables.

The new post marks Mr Oduneye's return to the county. Two years ago, he worked for Wiltshire Health Authority on a variety of specialist public health projects.

Donna Stiles, chief executive of the West Wiltshire PCT, said: "Improving the health and wellbeing of people in West Wiltshire should be at the heart of everything the Primary Care Trust does."