Ambitious plans to create a new superhospital were unveiled in Bristol yesterday.

Hospital bosses say the multi-million pound development, at the current Southmead hospital site, will be the 'best in the NHS'.

Developers Carillion, winners of the bid to build the hospital, claim it will also be the greenest hospital in the UK.

"It will be the most energy efficient hospital in the country, by some way," said Tony Harden, of Carillion.

The 800-bed hospital will comprise a 'grand and elegant' building with state-of-the art wards and most importantly, will include a 600-space multi-storey car park.

All rooms will face east and nine out of 10 will have an external window, making use of the natural sunlight and reducing the need for artificial ventilation and light.

Chief executive Sonia Mills said: "People will find the hospital easy to find their way around and to park. Some of the value of this site is that the patients appreciate the scenery and views. And we have tried hard to get those features into these buildings, even though it's much bigger than both of our hospitals."

It will be the most energy efficient hospital in the country, by some way Carillion's Tony Harden

While some trees will be removed in the demolition process, Carillion will keep some of the more impressive trees as well as planting another 1,000. They will also introduce cycle paths and new storage areas.

Medical director Martin Morse said the new hospital would be home to the whole range of specialist services, currently spread out over the two sites – Southmead and Frenchay.

"It's a wonderful step forward in clinical terms for all those who look to Bristol for their healthcare, from all over the South West," he said.

"At the moment specialist services are concentrated in one hospital, which may not be the patients own hospital.

"The new hospital will provide improved access to medical care – the latest thinking in healthcare provision."

He said that with 75 per cent single bed en-suite rooms, the hospital would be leading the way in terms of dignity for patients and helping halt the spread of superbugs.

The proposals would see Frenchay Hospital become a community rehabilitation hospital, though units such as the brain injury unit and the MacMillan centre would remain.

Despite the impressive plans, North Bristol NHS Trust is yet to secure the £430-million funding for the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) scheme.

Ms Mills said the trust was confident it could secure the PFI funding through a consortium of banks and had already received interest from the European Investment Bank.

Meanwhile, the Government identified a list of projects which it vowed to support, this included the Southmead Hospital development.

In a statement released yesterday, the Treasury said: "The Government will lend to those PFI projects that cannot raise sufficient debt finance on acceptable terms, lending alongside commercial lenders and the European Investment Bank."

The assurances came as the Liberal Democrats warned more than £2.5 billion of hospital PFI projects were under threat.

Figures show that 12 major PFI projects have been cancelled – half of all NHS projects that were due to be finalised this year or last.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: "These figures sound the death knell for major PFI projects.

"PFI provided bad value even in the good times, but it is clearly collapsing now that times are tough."

Northavon MP Steve Webb said: "I am concerned that the Government is pressing ahead with using the discredited PFI method to finance the new hospital.

"Private contractors have made a fortune whilst the taxpayer has had very poor value for money on many of these schemes. This is money that should have been spent on healthcare, not on inflated borrowing costs."

A spokesman for the hospital said building work should start by the end of the year, with the new hospital set to open in 2013.

The current Southmead Hospital will remain open during the development.