Casualty nurses in Bradford are being handed a specialist role caring for patients with minor injuries in a major new initiative to speed up treatment.

Six staff are being trained to become accident and emergency nurse practitioners at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The initiative - already adopted in other hospitals around the country - will mean nurses will take over from doctors in treatment of some minor injury cases, freeing medical staff for other tasks.

It is part of a move across the health service to give nurses greater responsibilities reflecting their expanded skills and to enhance their job satisfaction making it a more attractive career option.

Head of accident and emergency, consultant Mr Tony Shenton, said the first staff would be qualified in the autumn following a training course backed by Bradford University.

Trained nurses would deal with patients with minor injuries below the elbow and knee including scalds, cuts and sprained ankles as well as some head injuries.

"This is a new development for specified groups of patients," he said.

"Working as part of a close-knit team they will be able to take patients with basic injuries below the elbow and below the knee and manage them."

Staff nurse Frances Horner, who is one of the first nurses to begin the course, said she was looking forward to her new role which would benefit patients.

"It is a new field for us," she said.

"When we are very busy hopefully it will reduce waiting times for walking wounded patients.

"Although at the end of the day we are still nurses, which will be our major role, it will be an extension of that and will use more skills."

Lesley Sterling-Baxter, chief officer of Bradford Community Health Council, welcomed the development which matched best practice around the country where nurse specialists had already proved popular.

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