THE region's new spinal injuries unit is finally open to patients.

Built at a cost of £6m, the North Of England Spinal Cord Injuries Centre at the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, has unrivalled facilities.

Asked where the most modern spinal unit in the country is based, Charles Greenough, director of the unit, said: "You are standing in it."

Dr Greenough, one of three senior doctors at the unit, is impressed at what he sees.

"It is fantastic, absolutely stunning and it is really going to make a huge difference to patient care." Apart from the six-bed high dependency unit and the 24-bed rehabilitation unit, the Middlesbrough centre has quick and easy access to a full range of other specialists at the expanding South Tees hospital.

When it was decided to relocate the regional unit from Hexham, Middlesbrough was up against competition from Newcastle and Sunderland.

But the fact that all facilities are on one site clinched the deal for Teesside, which now provides spinal cord injury services to a population of 3.4m people from the Borders down to Scarborough and across to the Lakes.

Doctors plan to work with the University of Teesside's information technology experts to explore how paralysed, wheelchair-bound patients can gain more control over their lives.

"These days you can also use voice recognition software to control computers," said Mr Greenough.

"With voice control you can use the Internet and even make things at home work, like curtains and doors."

Up to 50 new spinal cord injury patients need specialist treatment in the region every year and about 1,000 patients need follow-up treatment.

Michael Scott, 22, from South Hetton, near Sunderland, is recovering from a car crash which left him with a broken back and paralysed legs. After a wheelchair tour of the new rehabilitation features Mr Scott was impressed: "It is excellent, 100 per cent better. It is more modern, more spacious."

Lucy Campbell, ward sister, who was one of six staff to transfer from Hexham, said: "This place is absolutely brilliant but it has been a long time in coming."