Campaigners for patients living with a painful hip condition are celebrating victory after Bradford health bosses agreed the treatment will be paid by the NHS.

Letters have gone out to GPs in Bradford and Airedale informing them of the revised funding decision by the primary care trust.

Previously the procedure, called a hip arthroscopy, was only available to private patients suffering from femero-acetabular hip impingement syndrome, also known as hip impingement.

The decision follows guidance issued by The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) saying the procedure is suitable to be provided on the NHS.

The campaign support group was set up after Councillor Jan Smithies (Lab, Keighley West) appealed in the Telegraph & Argus for people with the hip condition to come forward.

Coun Smithies had been contacted by a woman living in constant pain after being diagnosed with hip impingement who was keen to speak to others with the condition to campaign for the operation to be made available on the NHS.