North Yorkshire Horizons has signed up to a new Hepatitis C action plan to mark World Hepatitis Day which took place on Tuesday, July 28.

The action plan aims to further increase testing for Hepatitis C, ensuring specialist pathways and onsite treatment for the virus.

Mark Vidgen, operations director of the North Yorkshire drug and alcohol recovery service, said: “We know that Hepatitis C is most commonly spread through blood-to-blood contact, such as sharing needles.

“We are fully behind this plan because it will be of real benefit for the lives of the people who use our service across the county.”

The plan by national charity, Humankind, which is the lead partner in North Yorkshire Horizons, is in response to a recent government report.

It states that across the country, people are not getting access to needle and syringe services as they should.

Among a list of pledges set out in the plan, the organisation states it will invest in staff and staff training, increase testing and re-testing rates and reach out to people not registered with its services.

It is also to commit to listening to what people who use its services say on how best to tackle the issue.

Meanwhile, North Yorkshire Horizons is joining a national campaign to raise awareness of Hepatitis C and the fact it can now be cured by a simple course of tablets.