“People in Liverpool often do not go to the doctor until their symptoms are serious, which makes treatment and cure far more difficult.

“Our bowel cancer screening programme is a good example of how we are trying to improve this.

“It is not all doom and gloom – things are improving but people need to listen to health messages about diet, alcohol and exercise.

“We want the people of Liverpool to live longer.”

Nearly half of the 32 indicators set out in Sefton’s profile are significantly worse than the England average, including binge drinking adults and deaths from smoking.

However, during the last ten years, the early death rate from cancer has decreased faster than the England rate.

It is now similar to the national average, at 119.2.

Wirral has high rates for hospital stays for alcohol-related harm, and a lower than average life expectancy at 75.7 for men and 80.9 for women, compared to England’s overall figures of 77.7 and 81.8.

St Helens has more obese children than the national average, and worse health in the over-65s, according to its profile.

And, in Knowsley, 322.6 per 100,000 people die from smoking-related illness compared to an England average of 210.2.

The borough also scored badly on children's tooth decay at age five and breast feeding initiation, but health chiefs say things are improving.

Since 1995-97, deaths from coronary heart disease were slashed by 45% in the borough and cancer deaths have goner down by 24%.

Knowsley Director of Public Health, Dr Diana Forrest, said: “We are making a real impact in improving health in Knowsley.

“We are taking a whole systems approach to improving not just the health, but also the lives and wellbeing of all Knowsley people.

“The involvement of local residents is also key to future improvements, and we have many local people signed up as health champions.”