Hospital stages family open day

PEOPLE from Warrington are being invited to a family open day at Halton General Hospital’s Cheshire and Merseyside Treatment Centre at Runcorn.
The day on Sunday, September 7 will offer a rare opportunity to see behind the scenes in the operating theatres and even have a go at some medical techniques.
Hospital staff will be putting on a range of behind-the-scenes tours as well as entertainment for visitors between 11am and 3pm.
The hospital radio station – Radio General – will be throwin open its oors so people can have a go at presenting a radio programme.
The main event is being held in the Cheshire and Merseyside Treatment Centre which is the orthopaedic centre at the rear of the Halton General Hospital site. In previous years it has been held at Warrington Hospital in Lovely Lane.
In the centre there will be a wide range of stalls offering health advice and information from nurses and doctors from the hospital teams.
There will also be demonstrations from the emergency services using their state of the art emergency situation simulator ‘The Cube’ and a fire engine on site.
There’s plenty more for families to do with face painting, bouncy castle, giant operation game, music and performances during the day.
Community groups and other health partners will also be on hand and running stalls and there’s career advice for people considering a career in the NHS.
Sea Cadets and students from Riverside College are volunteering on the day to help out.
The event is free of charge and parking at the hospital is also free for the day for visitors. The hospital’s shuttle bus service is running throughout the day between Halton General and Warrington Hospital.
The day concludes with the Warrington and Halton Hospitals annual members meeting at 3pm in the hospital education centre where people can come and find out more about how the hospital trust performed over the last year and the trust’s plans for the future.
Mel Pickup, chief executive at Warrington and Halton Hospitals, said:“We’re hoping for a great turnout. Our tours behind the scenes give people a chance to see parts of the hospital that they don’t usually see and it’s a chance to find out more about us and what we’re doing at the hospitals.
“We’ve got lots going on through the day and it’s a perfect event for the whole family to drop in and see the fantastic facilities we have at the treatment centre and Halton General.”