The Bishop of Bradford has sung the praises of a hospital ward in the city - and said the cash wasted on the Millennium Dome could have funded many similar worthwhile schemes.

The Right Reverend David Smith made his remarks as he officially opened a £50,000 refurbishment of the Annette Fox Haematology Unit at Bradford Royal Infirmary, which he praised as a high-quality unit.

He said: "As a great, national Millennium project, isn't it a great pity that all that money has been poured into the Millennium Dome, something that now they struggle to find something to do with?

"It would not have been so easily seen if even a proportion of that money had been given to medical research, but it would benefit people in an ongoing way."

The unit at BRI is for people with leukaemia and other blood disorders and the scheme has extended and refurbished facilities there, offering patients more space and privacy.

The improvements on Ward Seven also include the creation of a second day case unit, a new waiting area and dedicated facilities for people undergoing bone marrow examinations. They were funded by the Annette Fox Leukaemia Research Fund.

The fund was named in honour of a young Bradford leukaemia sufferer and raised money for a new unit which opened in 1993.

The bishop added: "In future years, when people talk about the Millennium Dome they may well be inclined to shrug or laugh.

"When they talk about Annette Fox, they will talk with respect and admiration and appreciation for a memorial that really is very fine."

Consultant haematologist Dr Liakat Parapia said: "The refurbishment, which has improved the environment enormously, forms one of the biggest steps forward for the unit since it was opened by the Duchess of Kent seven years ago."

At the ceremony, the bishop was joined by trustees, former trustees, staff and members of the pop group Smokie.