A project to transform the main entrance of York District Hospital has got the go-ahead from regional health chiefs.

The £1 million project will see the creation of a new reception and concourse, to provide a more welcoming and spacious main entrance area for patients, visitors and staff.

There will also be six shops of different sizes inside the hospital foyer, together with a cash machine.

And the whole scheme will not cost the NHS a penny - it will be privately funded by an outside company, British Health Enterprises, and the York Health Trust will actually benefit to the tune of £62,000 a year plus a share of any additional profits.

Trust chief executive Simon Pleydell said: "This is good news. The present main entrance of the hospital is 25-years-old and everyone will be able to benefit greatly from its redesign."

In redesigning the hospital entrance and immediate area outside priority has been given to patients arriving or leaving the hospital, particularly for disabled visitors.

The ambulance bays will be rearranged to give better parking, and access to all disabled parking areas will be preserved.

The design is also intended to be more pleasing on the eye and more comfortable, helping to ease tensions.

The hospital's £2 million modernisation scheme for its accident and emergency department comes to a conclusion on Friday, when the revamped unit opens for patients, while a new endoscopy unit became operational just over a week ago.

Mr Pleydell said he expected a decision next month from the regional NHS executive on the £16 million scheme to upgrade the district hospital's first floor and create a new clinical building.

And he was particularly pleased that the trust had learned it would receive a new, state of the art CT scanner, which should arrive by October 2001. He said the machine would produce better images and reduce waiting times for cancer diagnosis.

Updated: 08:36 Tuesday, January 30, 2001