A UNIQUE hub of medical expertise planned for Liverpool would bring hundreds of millions of pounds into the city’s economy, health chiefs said last night.

A blueprint for a bio-medical science campus, to sit next to the planned new £451m Royal Liverpool Hospital – on the old Royal site – has been drawn up.

Health bosses said it could lead to the discovery and development of breakthrough drugs to treat some of the world’s most devastating diseases.

The “BioCampus” would reinforce the Royal’s links with the University of Liverpool and drug companies, encouraging innovation and investment. The city already plays a leading role in researching new treatments for diseases like HIV and cancer, but the campus could help small companies then trial and develop the drugs into finished products – keeping all the investment within the city and creating jobs.

Experts working on the plans say the city is in a unique position, because of the proximity of the hospital and university, and the land which will be available when the old hospital is knocked down.

They say a large amount of construction jobs will be created, as well as research posts for scientists and doctors.

Royal Liverpool chief executive Tony Bell said: “The BioCampus should enable Liverpool to carry out some of the best research in the world; it will put us right up there.

“We already have top-class clinicians doing internationally important research, and we want to build on this.

“We have some of the biggest health problems in the country in areas of Merseyside and we are driven to solve these problems, which then pushes on the high level of research.

“The object is funding new treatments that will benefit a whole host of patients. We want to improve the health of the population and provide sustainable regeneration in the knowledge economy.

“We don't just want to attract talent from outside Liverpool, we want to develop it and keep it here, so top quality graduates stay in the city.”