Patient's £1.5m hospital donation

The centre is named after benefactor Paul Sykes

A former cancer patient has donated £1.5m to a hospital to build a urology unit.

Businessman Paul Sykes was diagnosed with prostate cancer at St James's Hospital, Leeds, in 2000.

After recovering from the disease Mr Sykes, who made his fortune in projects including the Meadowhall shopping complex in Sheffield, decided to show his gratitude by paying for the construction of the new centre.

The two-storey Paul Sykes Urology Centre is the first of its kind in Yorkshire and is officially opened on Tuesday.

This fantastic donation has given us one of the leading facilities in the UK

Ian Eardley, consultant urologist

Mr Sykes said: "The treatment and the incredible people I met led me to try and help.

"This centre will take Yorkshire to the forefront of treatment in the country."

Consultant urologist Ian Eardley said: "It has been a long held ambition of the urologists.

"This fantastic donation has given us one of the leading facilities in the UK."

The urology department at St James's currently has over 18,000 outpatients each year and the new centre will bring all the existing services under one roof.