Stepping Hill Named Super Hospital
Decision made to make hospital one of the regions centres for emergency surgery.
Stepping Hill is to be made one of Greater Manchester's four Super Hospitals - alongside Salford Oldham and the Manchester Royal Infirmary.
The decision means patients in the region needing emergency surgery will be taken to one of those specialist sites for treatment including heart disease or trauma.
The move - as part of a mass shake-up of the NHS - aims to save hundreds of lives a year.
Some critics of the Super Hospitals say it will make it could mean longer journeys for some patients requiring specialist care- while its supporters say it could prevent longer waiting times and patients being given the run around.