HERE is the first glimpse of how Glasgow's new Southern General 'superhospital' will look.

It will take up to 10 years to complete and cost more than £100million, but when finished will become the UK's largest and most modern healthcare campus.

The move is part of the biggest shake-up of healthcare services in the West of Scotland for a generation.

Planners yesterday gave the go-ahead for the hospital to be built at the Shieldhall site.

Staff numbers will more than double with adult, children's and maternity hospitals being brought together on the one site.

It has also been revealed that health chiefs are to make a "substantial" contribution towards a hospital access transport scheme.

Bed numbers will rise from 900 to just over 1900 and staff numbers will soar from 4230 to more than 10,000.

The new Southern General, which will be the main hospital in the south of the city, will cater for around 725,000 patients each year.

While welcoming the hospital go-ahead, some councillors questioned whether roads in the area would be able to cope with increased traffic.

Planning manager Tom Turley said: "The NHS have produced a draft green travel plan which looks at that in detail and what can be achieved."

He said there would be additional public transport and a dedicated travel co-ordinator would be appointed.

Crucial to the hospital's links would be the Clyde Fastlink service which will initially operate between the city centre and Glasgow Harbour.

Under the Health Board's plans, Fastlink will run into the hospital grounds with a transport hub, at the entrance to the hospital, which could accommodate shuttle buses and taxis.

The new car park will have 2400 spaces for staff and 1200 for patients and visitors.

According to the planning boss the main hospital building will be 12 or 13 storeys high.

A business case for the new hospital will be presented to the Scottish Government later this month with a decision expected in February.

Tom Divers, chief executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: "This marks the beginning of the next phase of our ambitious hospital construction and service re-design programme to deliver the most modern acute healthcare services in the UK.

"The overall development will see Glasgow become home to the biggest and most modern healthcare campus in the UK.

"The process has benefitted from sound collaborative working between ourselves, city planners and the other agencies involved."