Plans for a new £521 million superhospital in Birmingham have been approved by the city council.
The joint initiative between University Hospital Birmingham and Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trusts was granted by the council's planning committee last week.
It will be the second biggest hospital building project in Britain, covering a similar area to the Bullring, and will create more than 1,000 new jobs.
Work has already begun on the new car parks on the existing Queen Elizabeth Hospital site in Edgbaston.
As well as improving patient facilities the multi-million pound scheme will also include teaching, training and research centres linked to Birmingham University's medical school.
Both UHB and the university plan to appoint a number of new professors to strengthen the research and development element of the project.
Mark Britnell, UHB's chief executive, said patient services at the new hospital would be greatly improved.
He said: "We have some of the lowest waiting times and once the new hospital is opened we will have the most advanced health services in Europe here.
John Charlton, the trust's chairman, added: "As I understand it there were no objections to the plans, which considering a few years ago there were raging reports that people were totally against the idea, is incredible."
