Wigan Album

That's interesting Ron, looking on this aerial photo from the album it looks to be the building of the block that became the booking in area, Casualty, X-ray dept., and South Ward. There was also a waiting hall beneath this block along with the consultants examination rooms.
https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=26090&gallery=Royal+Albert+Edward+Infirmary&page=1

The copywrite watermark should stop your photos and images being pirated by other sites.

oh dear that scaffold would be condemned today, and today's version would cost much more, no odd bits of timber and whatever was around would be good enough nowadays

I can remember the old fashioned hall with doors leading off into consulting rooms. Waiting, trembling until called, I always had a fear of the Infirmary that goes back to having a broken arm at the age of four. I remember being swung round and my arm was broken. Just going up Wigan Lane on the bus was enough to frighten the living daylights out of me. The terrors of childhood never leave you….

In line with the comments above this would not be the laying of the original Foundation Stone for the Infirmary. That is dated 26/12/1870 and is located to the left of the Gothic arch main entrance to the hospital. The Infirmary was build on a green field site so there wouldn't have been existing buildings around at that time.

Chris I think its the foundation stone is for the GIDLOW WING? Maybe the sisters are on the photograph? And try as we have, we can't locate the paintings of the sisters, which I believe at one time hung in the board room, If we could find them.. We could ascertain if they are on the podium