New children's hospital unveiled

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A new £100m children's hospital is to be built in Newcastle.

The 245-bed complex will be in the grounds of the existing Royal Victoria Infirmary and will feature "clown doctors" and a 50-seat cinema.

The state-of-the-art centre will also include specialist cancer care, dialysis suites and accommodation areas for families.

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust said it expected the hospital to fully completed by 2010.

The new hospital will bring together services currently offered at three different sites within the city.

Cancer care

Members of the public are being invited to choose one of three names for the hospital - the Great North Children's Hospital, the Greenhouse, or Northern Lights.

A trust spokesman said: "This is part of a major programme to transform the Newcastle Hospitals.

"Its legacy will be much more than a set of new buildings. This is about creating a wide reaching network of care which will benefit everyone across the North East.

"Caring for children from just a few months old to teenagers, facilities at the 245-bed hospital range from general care for common conditions to much more complex treatment such as children's dialysis and specialist cancer care.

"And because we are in the privileged position of building a hospital specifically designed for young people we've made sure that there are a few surprises for our patients.

"So, as well as a roof garden and dedicated leisure areas, we've also included a private cinema."