WARRINGTON and Halton Teaching Hospitals is renaming its Covid-secure unit in honour of Captain Sir Tom Moore.

The trust will rename the newest part of its estate at Halton Hospital in Runcorn the Captain Sir Tom Moore Building, honouring the centenarian who raised more than £30 million for NHS charities during the pandemic.

The general hospital building will be known as the Nightingale Building in honour of the world’s most famous nurse who celebrates a bicentennial anniversary in 2020 – the WHO Year of the Nurse and Midwife.

The two names were selected by the Trust’s staff in an online poll, with Captain Tom and Florence emerging as the most popular choice.

The Captain Tom Foundation was approached for permission and their spokesperson said: “The family have been truly humbled by the gratitude and love they have received from far and wide and it is particularly heartening to hear how the funds are being used and that they are going to such good causes.

"Captain Tom would be delighted for you to name the Cheshire & Merseyside Treatment Centre after him, he is extremely flattered that your staff suggested it.”

Professor Simon Constable, chief executive said: “This is an opportunity to relaunch our dedicated elective site at Halton Hospital in a way that recognises the legacy of COVID-19 while honouring two very different individuals that did so much for their country in such unique ways. The Trust hopes that these names will be forever associated with a positive human spirit in 2020.”

At Halton Hospital, planned care is being restored for patients across a wide range of services, many of which will be carried out from this building for the first time.

The bed base has correspondingly increased to 44 and the average length of stay is expected to be approximately 24 hours.

Cancer and urgent surgeries have been continuing at Warrington Hospital during the pandemic but now trauma and orthopaedic, breast surgery and ambulatory trauma services have all been reinstated from the Covid-secure building.

In the coming weeks urology surgery will commence here and the creation of a ‘PACU’ Anaesthetic Care Unit will enable more high risk patients to have their surgeries at the elective centre.

Endoscopy has already recommenced at Halton General, with the chemotherapy centre and Planned Investigations Units all re-opened.

To minimise any possible risk of Covid-19 infection all patients will be fully screened ahead of attending for their procedures and the wearing of face coverings, hand sanitising, social distancing and visiting restrictions will be in place according to the current government guidance.