Hospital Beds

A hospital bed, also called a medical bed, has the mattress platform divided into sections that adjust independently, and in most configurations a lifting system that raises the whole frame. It is used both in clinical settings and for care at home, and the two contexts pull the specification in different directions.

The range covers manual crank models, electric beds with three functions, high-low frames from 180 to 200 cm and an auxiliary folding bed. It sits within the hospital and medical furniture range.

How many functions

The functions are the adjustments available, and each one resolves a specific situation rather than adding general comfort.

Height adjustment is the function that changes daily work the most, because it separates two positions for two different purposes: high for washing, changing bedding and transfers, where the carer works without bending; low the rest of the time, where what matters is the distance to the floor.

The tilt positions incline the whole platform. They are clinical adjustments, and their use is determined by the healthcare staff according to protocol.

Electric or manual crank

The actuation determines who changes the position and how long it takes.

An electric bed moves the sections with motors from a handset. The practical difference is not comfort: the position changes without walking to the foot of the bed and without occupying the hands, and in the configurations that allow it the person in the bed can adjust it themselves.

A manual bed, with a crank, does not depend on mains power and has fewer components that can fail. The adjustment is made by someone else, from the foot of the bed, in stages.

On electric models two checks matter on the data sheet: whether there is a mechanical emergency lowering for a power cut with the bed raised, and whether the handset allows functions to be locked, which is used when the position should not be altered.

Beds for the ward and beds for the home

The same technology serves both, but the priorities differ, and this is what decides which model fits.

In a clinical setting, what counts is resistance to continuous use, ease of cleaning the surfaces, wheels for moving the bed between rooms and compatibility with ward accessories.

For care at home, the bed shares a bedroom rather than a ward. What counts is the dimensions relative to the room, the appearance — which is why wooden-frame finishes exist for exactly this — the simplicity of the handset, and whether the bed can be moved by one person.

Beds for the home are also chosen against a domestic mattress size rather than a ward standard, and the frame lengths in this range reflect that.

What is discovered after delivery

Three measurements decide whether the bed works where it is going, and none is the figure the specification highlights.

The full height range, not the maximum. The minimum determines whether the person can sit on the edge with their feet on the floor; the maximum determines whether the carer works without bending. A bed that rises a long way but does not lower enough solves only half the problem.

Width against the doorways. The bed arrives dismantled, but the platform is the part that does not reduce. What has to be compared is its width, side rails included, against the clear opening of the narrowest door on the route, measured with the door open fully rather than at the frame. In a clinical building, add the lift.

And clearance underneath. If a patient hoist is going to be used, its legs have to pass beneath the bed frame to get close enough. A low platform or a closed base blocks that access, and it is a measurement to cross between the two data sheets before buying either.

Wheels, brakes and moving the bed

This is where a ward bed separates from a domestic one.

A central brake locks all four castors with one pedal. The alternative — individual brakes — means walking round the bed to immobilise it, and on a ward that translates into beds left unbraked.

A fifth castor, central and steering, lets the bed turn on itself in narrow corridors: the difference between taking a bed out of a room in one movement and manoeuvring it in several.

On beds intended to stay in place, adjustable feet replace castors and level the frame on an uneven floor.

Side rails and surfaces

Side rails come as full-length or sectional, the latter lowering independently so one area can be reached without uncovering the whole bed. Where transfers are frequent, what to check is whether they operate with one hand, because the carer usually has the other occupied.

Surfaces are cleaned between users, so the material has to withstand the products in use. Smooth surfaces without visible joins wipe completely; profiles and edges accumulate in the seams. Alcohol-based products degrade lower-grade finishes, and the first place it shows is the edge of the side rails, which is what gets handled most.

Mattress and accessories

The mattress is chosen separately and has to flex with the platform without creasing: rigid ones or those with a fixed internal structure do not follow the movement. The measurement is taken from the platform, and the options are in hospital mattresses.

Where a stay in bed is prolonged, specific pressure-distribution surfaces exist; their indication and follow-up are determined by the healthcare staff responsible for the case.

Around the bed, drip stands and medical trolleys complete the equipment. Accessories attach at defined points on the frame and are not universal between manufacturers, which is worth confirming against what the setting already uses.

Power supply and installation

Medical furniture is largely manufactured in continental Europe, so an electric bed may be supplied with a European Schuko plug rather than a UK three-pin BS 1363. Confirming the plug type with each model and arranging an adaptor or a fitted UK plug in advance avoids a bed that cannot be commissioned on the day it arrives.

Alongside that, check the socket position relative to where the bed will stand, and the cable length, because a bed that has to be moved for cleaning needs slack in the lead.

Delivery and assembly

Beds arrive dismantled and are bulky items. On delivery it is worth inspecting the packaging before signing, because transit damage on items this size is easier to resolve when recorded at that point, and checking the fixings against the parts list before starting assembly.

What to check before buying

• The number of functions, and whether height adjustment is included
• The full height range, minimum as well as maximum
• Central brake and fifth castor, against individual brakes
• Total width with side rails, against doorways and lift
• Clearance beneath the frame, if a hoist is to be used
• Availability of motor, handset and side rails as spare parts
• Plug type on electric models

The last point decides the real service life: motor, handset and side rails are the parts replaced with use, and a bed whose handset can no longer be sourced becomes unusable with the frame intact.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a hospital bed and a medical bed?

In practice they are the same product: a bed with the mattress platform divided into independently adjustable sections, and in most configurations a lifting system for the whole frame. "Medical bed" is the term used more often for home care and "hospital bed" for clinical settings, but the technology is common to both.

How many functions does a hospital bed need?

Two functions adjust the backrest and legs. Three add height adjustment of the whole frame, which is what allows the bed to be set to each task and is the function that changes daily work the most. Four incorporate tilt of the entire platform, which is a clinical adjustment whose use is determined by healthcare staff.

Electric or manual hospital bed?

An electric bed moves the sections with motors from a handset, so the position changes without walking to the foot of the bed and without occupying the hands, and in some configurations the person in the bed can adjust it themselves. A manual bed with a crank does not depend on mains power and has fewer components that can fail, but the adjustment is made by someone else, in stages. On electric models it is worth checking for a mechanical emergency lowering and whether the handset locks functions.

Can a hospital bed be used at home?

Yes, and several models in this range are configured for it. What changes is the priority: the bed shares a bedroom rather than a ward, so dimensions relative to the room, appearance — which is why wooden-frame finishes exist — simplicity of the handset and whether one person can move it all matter more than ward accessory compatibility.

What height should a hospital bed have?

What is compared is the full range rather than the maximum. The minimum determines whether the person can sit on the edge with their feet on the floor; the maximum determines whether the carer works without bending during washing and bedding changes. A bed that rises a long way but does not lower enough solves only half the problem.

Will the bed fit through the doors?

The bed arrives dismantled, but the platform does not reduce, so what has to be compared is its width with side rails included against the clear opening of the narrowest door on the route, measured with the door open fully rather than at the frame. In a clinical building, add the lift. It is a check to make before ordering, not after.

Is the bed compatible with a patient hoist?

It depends on the clearance beneath the frame: the legs of the hoist base have to pass under the bed to get close enough for the transfer. A low platform or a closed base blocks that access. It is a measurement to cross between the two data sheets, the bed and the hoist, before buying either of them.

Why does the central brake matter?

It locks all four castors with a single pedal. The alternative, individual brakes, means walking round the bed to immobilise it, and on a ward that translates into beds left unbraked. A fifth central steering castor additionally lets the bed turn on itself in narrow corridors.

Does the bed come with a UK plug?

Medical furniture is largely manufactured in continental Europe, so an electric bed may be supplied with a European Schuko plug rather than a UK three-pin BS 1363. It is worth confirming the plug type with each model and arranging an adaptor or a fitted UK plug in advance, along with the socket position relative to where the bed will stand and the cable length, because a bed that is moved for cleaning needs slack in the lead.