A £4m project to extend medical teaching facilities at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester has been approved by health chiefs.

The scheme will eventually see up to 140 extra students attached to the Romsey Road hospital, with the scheme up and running by October 2004.

The expansion is part of a joint plan between Southampton's University's School of Medicine and the hospital, and has been prompted by a national shortage in trained medical staff.

A ten-year strategic plan by the NHS calls for the UK's health services to modernise patient treatment and reduce waiting times.

However, one of the biggest problems in meeting that requirement is the lack of trained staff, and therefore the biggest factor in fulfilling the NHS Plan will be in training suitable staff.

In response to this, the School of Medicine at Southampton University submitted a successful application to two government groups for funding to expand its intake of medical students.

With many of the students attached to the RHCH as their clinical base, the School along with the Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust (WEHT) who run the hospital, agreed to expand facilities at the site.

It will see 40 more students attached to the hospital from October 2004, increasing overall numbers to 240, with a phased increase each year after that rising to a total of 334 by October 2007.

Yesterday, at a meeting of the WEHT Board at the hospital, it was agreed that the full business plan for the ambitious proposals be approved.

Maureen Larkin, director of planning and performance at the RHCH, said: "I'm thrilled that the business case for the medical school has been approved.

"The medical school gives this trust an opportunity to demonstrate the skills of our staff. The fact that they can now pass on their learning to others is great news for the trainee doctors, the community and our partners at the University of Southampton.

"This is a very exciting time for us and we are really looking forward to welcoming the new students as we establish a centre of excellence in education here in Winchester.''