Life expectancy for men in Wiltshire has risen again as the county’s figures remained above the national average, according to the annual Public Health Report.

For men in Wiltshire life expectancy is 80.4 years, while for women it is 83.9, both above the national averages of 79.2 and 83.

The 2013/14 report sets out what has been achieved to help people stay healthier in the county and the health of the local population.

Cabinet member for public health, Coun Keith Humphries, said: “Wiltshire is a healthy county in which to live, however we are not complacent as there are pockets of deprivation where support and advice can make a real difference.

“It’s been a busy 12 months and this will continue to be the case as we work with our communities and partners to help people live long, healthy and happy lives.”

In the past year, the Wiltshire Stop Smoking Service has supported more than 4,500 individuals with nearly 2,500 giving up.

The Big Pledge encouraged people to do something to improve their health. Pledges included creating dementia aware communities and volunteering.

In total, 14,800 free NHS health checks were carried out on people aged between 40 and 74 assessing risk of cardiovascular (cardiac, stroke, diabetes) disease.

Take up of these health checks was 45 per cent compared to the south of England average of 41 per cent.

This year the council launched the health trainer programme, providing one-to-one support for people to improve their health.

Maggie Rae, corporate director for public health at Wiltshire Council, said: “We want everyone to be able to make healthier choices and to minimise the risk and impact of illness.

“The work we do supports people to take simple steps to make a difference for the better in their lives and we will continue to work hard to help all our residents have a good quality of life.”