The British government has announced a remodernisation project worth more than €144 million for Derry's Altnagelvin Hospital.
The project, which will be rolled out over 10 years, involves a state-of-the-art extension and will completely modernise all areas of the hospital and includes the renewal of engineering infrastructure.
Announcing the plans, British health minister Angela Smith said: "This project will bring major benefits to the entire western area community and underlines the importance of Altnagelvin as a cornerstone of the acute care infrastructure in Northern Ireland ."
The minister said the redevelopment project was an exciting example of the sort of work which was being taken forward across Northern Ireland under the Developing Better Services banner.
It was work which was dedicated to bringing about the best possible outcome for the patient and to bringing Northern Ireland up to the best standards in Europe, she added.
Ms Smith said she was particularly impressed by the patient-centred approach which had been adopted towards the project.
"Each phase has been carefully planned to ensure minimum disruption to patients, hospital staff and the general public.
"The new lighter, brighter wards, the modernising refurbishment programme, the progressive technical medical facilities and the emphasis on the importance of the patient and staff experience of the care process all point towards a future in which Altnagelvin will be at the forefront of the drive for excellence."
Once completed, the project would provide modern patient accommodation and a significantly improved working environment for more than 2,000 professional, technical and support staff.
Over the next 18 to 24 months project "roadshows" will take place throughout the North to publicise the scale and significance of the major development in acute hospital services being undertaken at Altnagelvin.
The project is phase two of the upgrade of the hospital. The first phase, a €28m extension, was completed in 2000 and provided state-of-the-art accommodation and equipment, including a new day care unit, theatres, intensive care, medical imaging and outpatient facilities.
Altnagelvin serves a population of 275,000 and for some of its specialities up to 400,000.