A NEW £1.3 million hand unit has opened at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The facility, which welcomed its first patients last month, aims to provide 'state-of-the-art treatment' while reducing waiting times for hand surgery.

Consultant plastic surgeon, Zakir Shariff, said: "The unit marks a significant milestone in the provision of acute and elective plastic surgery services in the region."

The facility aims to provide 'state-of-the-art treatment' while reducing waiting times for hand surgeryThe facility aims to provide 'state-of-the-art treatment' while reducing waiting times for hand surgery (Image: Supplied)

The unit will cater to patients from Bradford, Airedale, Calderdale, and Huddersfield hospitals.

Previously, patients requiring hand surgery had to be admitted to a ward bed and operated on within the busy planned, daily trauma lists, often resulting in long waiting times.

The new unit will allow for the use of the Wide Awake Local Anaesthesia No Tourniquet (WALANT) technique, which allows hand and wrist injuries to be treated without the need for an anaesthetic team.

The facility will provide elective hand surgery for conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger finger releaseThe facility will provide elective hand surgery for conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger finger release (Image: Supplied)

Mr Shariff said: "The new unit will revolutionise the treatment of hand injuries in the region, offering timely and efficient care."

The facility will also provide elective hand surgery for conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger release, ganglion excisions, Dupuytren's contracture release, and skin cancer treatment.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals’ chief executive, Professor Mel Pickup, said: "It’s just one more way we are improving the experiences of our patients and skilled colleagues."