Hospital bosses in Bradford are recruiting a team of specialists as it gears up to become a centre of excellence for treating bladder and prostate cancers.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is expanding its urology department as it prepares to become the specialist centre for urological cancers for much of West Yorkshire.

It means a team of top surgeons, oncologists and nurses will be recruited to deal with the increase in patients visiting ward 14 at Bradford Royal Infirmary for radical life-saving surgery and aftercare.

Much of the funding has come from the Yorkshire Cancer Network which decided last year Bradford was best placed to take patients from Bradford as well as Airedale, Halifax and Huddersfield.

BRI consultant urologist Rajiv Puri, who is the only consultant in Bradford at the moment carrying out bladder reconstruction and prostate removal procedures, said it was hoped that patients would be transferred by April next year.

"We have received good co-operation from Halifax, Huddersfield and Airedale and we are hoping it will work well," said Mr Puri.

He said even though some patients would face longer journeys, benefits included being treated by a specialist team, with more experience in dealing with cancers.

He said Bradford had been chosen because it was the highest performing department.

It is anticipated the changes will enable the unit to treat three times as many patients than at present.