NURSES are to be drafted into schools, colleges and youth centres to improve the health of more than 36,000 young people in the city.
The £4m project aims to tackle obesity in children, tooth decay among five-year- olds, pregnancy among girls under 18 and smoking in teenagers aged 15.
Known as the Public Health Service for five to 19-year- olds, it will address alcohol and drug misuse among young people and the problem of persistent truants.
Gail Teasdale, integrated services manager for children and young people's health at Hull City Council, said: "There will be challenges within a child's or young person's life and times when they need additional support.
"Universal and targeted public health services provided by school nursing teams are crucial to improving the health and wellbeing of school-aged children.
"The redesigned system will significantly increase early help and intervention through health promotion and harm-prevention app- roaches at a universal level while also targeting at-risk groups.
"This approach should make savings across the health system through reducing numbers requiring access to specialist services."
Over three years, Hull's public health team aims to transform the fortunes of 36,371 children and young people to reduce healthcare costs in the city in the future.
They say £1 spent on a child now will save between £8 and £11 in the longer term.
Nurses would be based in schools and colleges, as well as youth centres, to provide drop-in services and access outside school hours and holidays so young people can get help when they need it.
Councillors on Hull's health and social wellbeing overview and scrutiny committee have been informed of the new proposals, which could begin in April.
However, they were told schools are often unsure of what the present service provided by City Health Care Partnership (CHCP) offered pupils.
Ms Teasdale said: "Each school has a named nurse but what we have uncovered through consultation seems to be different levels of service in different schools.
"Some haven't seen a nurse all year."
Councillors also expressed concern when they were told CHCP would not provide the numbers of staff involved in the current project because of "commercial sensitivity".
Councillor Danny Brown, who chairs the scrutiny commission, said: "I would prefer providers to be very clear about what they are providing. It's maybe why we don't get what we want out of the service in the end.
"We have got to get to grips with what we have got and make sure it works."
Hull's health and wellbeing board (HWB) will be asked to approve plans for the new project later this month.
Although the report recommends private companies tendering for the project, Councillor Colin Inglis, chairman of the HWB, has asked for details of how the service could be run by Hull City Council staff before a decision is made to award the contract to an outside firm.
