The Nightingale Building has two entrances - Entrance 1 which is at the front of the hospital and is the main entrance and reception area, and Entrance 2 which is at the rear of the hospital next to the Minor Injuries Unit. The hospital is built on a slope so whilst it looks like there is only one floor from Entrance 1, there are two floors at Entrance 2. A main corridor runs from Entrance 1 right through the hospital with lift and stair access to Entrance 2. The main areas are:

• Wards - ward B2 is on the ground floor best accessed from Entrance 2 and are for intermediate care. Our main surgical ward B4, along with the programmed investigations unit, are on the floor above near the operating theatres and can be accessed from both entrances
• Urgent Care Centre - the minor injuries unit is located next to Entrance 2
• Outpatient department - the main outpatient department (including blood test clinic) is based in several clinic areas located near Entrance 1. Most patients book in at the main reception desk in the entrance
• Therapies - the extensive physiotherapy, dietician and speech and language departments are located near Entrance 1
• CANtreat chemotherapy unit - our chemotherapy unit is located halfway down the main corridor from Entrance 1
• Dialysis unit - the dialyis unit is just inside Entrance 2
• GUM (sexual health) - the GUM centre is located in a separate building at the side of the hospital.

• Services provided at The Nightingale Building include:
  General surgery, orthopaedic surgery, urology, minor injuries (not accident and emergency), endoscopy, step down care, cancer care, programmed investigations unit, renal dialysis, chemotherapy and cancer support, genito-urinary medicine and a full range of outpatient services.

• Support services include:
  Occupational therapy, physiotherapy, dietetics, outpatient services, diagnostic services, radiology and a range of specialist nursing services.

• There are around 50 inpatient beds at The Nightingale Building- and a further 40 beds at the Captain Sir Thomas Moore Building.
• Over 1,000 staff provide care from the Halton site
• Around 225 operations a week were carried out at Halton over the last year
• The urgent care unit sees around 20,000 patients every year and is open from 7am to 10pm each day
• There are four specialist operating theatres at the hospital - and a further four orthopaedic surgery theatres at the Captain Sir Thomas Moore building
• A 24 bed intermediate care ward provides services for patients requiring basic care and support before being sent home from hospital
• The hospital has been entirely free of MRSA infection over the last six years and has some of the highest ranked patient feedback in the NHS according to the NHS Choices website.

We have invested over £30 million in a range of new facilities and developments across both of our hospitals over the last few years. Each year we aim to improve the buildings so that the care you receive from our skilled staff is provided in facilities to match. At Halton this has included:

• A new endoscopy unit for Halton - In February 2015 we opened our £500k endoscopy unit at The Nightingale Building, allowing local patients to have gastrointestinal endoscopies at the hospital.
• Urgent care centre - The first phase of a major new urgent care centre development opened in February 2015 which redesigned the minor injuries unit at the hospital and provides extra services for urgent care. The full unit opens in early spring 2015.
• Macmillan Delamere Unit - A £1 million refurbishment of the Macmillan Delamere Unit has created a state-of-the-art cancer support and information centre at The Nightingale Building for the trust's team. The unit reopened in autumn 2013.
• Renal dialysis unit - Our renal dialyis unit at Halton provides 12 dialysis stations at the hospital. Up to 60 local patients receive their dialysis treatment in Halton
• CANtreat cancer centre - The trust worked with the cancer charity CANtreat to develop a new chemotherapy centre at Halton that allows more local people to receive their care closer to home.

The Nightingale Building was developed as part of the development of Halton new town with phase 1 of the hospital opening in September 1976. This included the main outpatient department and services.

Phase 2 of the hospital which included minor injuries and ward areas followed a few years later.

Before Halton General was built there were several smaller cottage style hospitals around the district. This included Runcorn Victorian Memorial Hospital in the Old Town.