The hospital opened in June

The �70,000 polished piece of granite, entitled Monolith and Shadow is part of the University College Hospital's Art in the Hospital project.

It is designed to give a "welcoming and reassuring environment, different from the clinical atmosphere of many traditional hospitals".

The money has been raised by donations, many from staff and patients.

Peter Burroughs from the hospital said: "This money was specifically donated for art in the new hospital and could not have been used for patient care."

There is a growing body of evidence that improving hospital environments actually helps to reduce violence on wards, boosts recruitment and retention of staff Daniel Reynolds, King's Fund

The work has been produced by artist Professor John Aiken, and the trust says feedback has been positive.

Louise Boden, chief nurse at the hospital, said: "A healing environment is crucial to a positive patient experience.

"There is increasing evidence that a welcoming and interesting atmosphere improves both patient well-being and staff morale, even speeding recovery in some cases."

Independent charity King's Fund, which promotes better health, gave �35,000 towards the project.

Daniel Reynolds said: "There is a growing body of evidence that improving hospital environments actually helps to reduce violence on wards, boosts recruitment and retention of staff".

The �420m hospital opened in Euston Road in June.