A charity working with people with Aids and HIV has spelled out plans to create a centre of excellence in Bradford.

The Pennine Aids Link (PAL) believes it is well placed to develop facilities after 13 years at the forefront of help for sufferers of the disease, their partners and families.

And PAL fears the official statistics showing 41 HIV/Aids patients in Bradford could be the tip of the iceberg.

Today bosses at Bradford Health Authority admitted there could be another 20 'hidden' cases of the disease in the district but said there was no evidence of any more.

Mark Taylor, chairman of PAL, said: "We would like to be able to offer all services under one roof and work as a unified force. PAL can do this as it has the expertise and the commitment to making the quality of life for people who are suffering, so much better."

He said there was a lot of money being spent on services to people with Aids but services in Bradford were fragmented at the moment. Patients would benefit if the services were brought together.

The centre of excellence could offer testing, medical care, alternative therapies, counselling, and practical advice on things like benefits.

Mr Taylor said PAL felt the official figures on Aids patients in Bradford were a massive underestimate.

"No-one really knows how many there are because for reasons of confidentiality the agencies concerned are not allowed to share information," he said. And he said some people in touch with PAL felt uncomfortable visiting the genito-urinary (GU) medicine clinic for treatment because of stigma.

Dr Ruth Gelletlie, consultant in communicable disease control at Bradford Health, said: "I'd very much like to see where they get their information from."

She said she estimated there could be around 20 extra patients in Bradford who were HIV positive and were not known to the health authorities.

She said she felt patients received the right care at the GU clinic where they received specialist advice from a consultant with expert knowledge in the field. Annually £632,000 is spent on treatment and £470,000 on prevention work.

And while the authority is currently reviewing services offered to Aids patients it stressed that it had to juggle limited resources.

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