A scheme which uses health visitors in teams could be rolled out across north Essex.
In Colchester, health visitors generally work with families who have children below the age of four or five.
But in Tendring, health visitors work with a child services team, including school nurses and nursery nurses, to look after children up to the age of 16.
Since October 1, the two Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) have been amalgamated into one, and bosses are working to create equality of services across the new North East Essex Primary Care Trust.
A spokesman for the PCT said: "While no-one at the Department of Health is telling us the Tendring system is best practice', this is the way we are going.
"We intend to roll the system out across Colchester, and this will take some additional investment in recruiting nursery nurses, because they presently aren't involved in that area."
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