THE brand new hub of one of the biggest hospital complexes in Europe is nearing completion.

The new South Glasgow University Hospital building, which has already changed the city's skyline, is just weeks from being ready and The Herald has been inside to see what lies behind that shimmering facade.

In parts it resembles a modern university. The atrium for the adult side of the hospital - which brings medical care from birth to retirement onto one site - is large enough to house a jumbo jet. Look up and 11 storeys soar above your head. Office "pods" with windows framed in bright purple, pink, yellow and orange, are stacked on one side like enormous building bricks. The sanctuary - a multi- denominational spiritual haven for patients and their families - also hovers in the space. Strips of lighting run down the side, a touch of bling which might not be to all tastes.

But while the high ceiling, glass and flashes of colour make an impression, it is actually the details of this new hospital that have the potential to be impressive.

All adults admitted will find themselves in single-bedded rooms that boast an outside view and measure a comfortable 16.5 square metres; not such a bad place to spend the night. There are windows through which staff can observe patients from the corridors, but no blinds to gather dust. Instead, a handle can be turned on either side to render the glass opaque. The rooms come furnished with wall cupboards, designed specifically for the hospital, which have sloping roofs to avoid items gathering dust and germs on top. Oh, and best of all, all patients have their own en-suite.

There are 28 rooms to a ward, but Rosslyn Crocket, the nurse director, is clear that, while her staff will no longer be able to see many patients at once, people will not be isolated when they need care or assistance.

Systems are already being tested in the existing hospitals that put patients on a checking timetable, so they are monitored at intervals that can be as short as 15 minutes. There are advantages of privacy and infection control which come with single rooms and there are also some bedrooms directly in front of the nurse work stations, so staff can look straight in.

Ms Crocket says the number of nurses at the new hospital will be at least the same as, or more than, the current complement spread across the Southern General, Victoria and Western Infirmary sites.

However, there are economies of scale from bringing the staff from three hospitals into one centre which Robert Calderwood, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde chief executive, says equates to about 400 jobs. With the growing needs of an ageing population, he adds, this concentration of staff will help meet rising demand.

The accident and emergency departments for both adults and children are side-by-side and it is easy to walk in between. The waiting room seating is not yet in place though the standard rows of fixed, easy-clean chairs are not likely to be much different from what already exists.

However, there are panels with pictures of space and hot air balloons amid the plethora of green paint on the paediatric side. The atrium of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children section will also be furnished with play therapy equipment and children have their own roof garden, three floors up, with purple, blue and green asphalt to run about on.

Beds can be wheeled onto this terrace and patients gazing at the sky will see the edge of the helipad, perched on top of the building to ensure a clear flight path. This addition to the hospital, for which the total bill is £585 million before VAT and fees, cost £2.5m alone. However, it will mean trauma patients can be flown-in, wheeled down the zig-zag ramp and then taken by lift straight to the department they need. At the moment, patients who arrive at the Southern by air have to be transferred to the hospital by land ambulance.

There are 860 people working on site, with six weeks to go until the official handover from construction contractor Brookfield Multiplex.

In the New Year NHS GGC will begin a "tight" 12 week commissioning period. This is not just tight in terms of ensuring everything is in place and all the staff know what they are doing, because NHS GGC plans to change more than place. Discussions are under way about re-organising the way consultants, doctors and a wide spectrum of support staff work with more specialists available for more hours of the day.

One clinician admits that, when a new hospital opened south of the Border, the first six weeks of excitement were followed by a lull as everyone realised they were dealing with the same problems, in nicer surroundings. The fabric of the new hospital is full of promise but no one should underestimate the ongoing vision and hard work that lies ahead.