HEALTHCARE FURNITURE
n Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), providing intensive, high dependency, and transitional care for newborns.
n Critical Care, with a 22-bed facility supporting complex patient needs.
n Surgical Arrivals and Recovery, including eight operating theatres.
n Maternity wards, covering antenatal, postnatal and pre-operative care.
Given the clinical nature of these spaces, durability, hygiene and compliance with stringent healthcare regulations were at the forefront of our furniture design and installation process. We delivered:
n Bespoke storage solutions designed for critical care areas, theatres, and maternity units.
n Custom-built cabinetry and worktops, ensuring long- lasting performance and easy maintenance.
n Integrated bedhead storage units, incorporating essential medical equipment while optimising space efficiency.
n Specialist fitted furniture for maternity and neonatal care, including units designed for infection control and ease of cleaning.
n Tailored reception desks with integrated consoles for welcoming and customer services areas, as well as staff bases.
n Dedicated healthcare curtain tracks with curtains for patient privacy and to offer various rooms the flexibility to divide with minimal effort.
FFE supply We also supplied miscellaneous furniture fixtures and equipment (FF&E) package items such as unbreakable mirrors, various sizes of hook, heavy duty ceiling- mounted birthing room hooks, cable management for all working stations, all the horizontal and vertical grab rails, accessible flip-up shower seats, shower surrounds, custom- made handbag shelves, racking, modular shelving, fume cupboards, window blinds, standard and controlled drug cupboards, and slatted benches with steel frames and numerous screens. We also supplied a comprehensive Group 2 fix-only
package for items supplied by the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust such as numerous dispensers. David Bailey Furniture’s ability to deliver aesthetically pleasing yet highly functional healthcare fitted furniture played a key role in ensuring that these clinical spaces provided both a practical working environment for healthcare professionals, and a comfortable, calming atmosphere for patients. One of the most technically demanding aspects of the
project was the manufacture and fitting of 23 bespoke bedhead storage units within the Acute Services Block. These units were designed to: n Conceal essential medical services, including M&E, gas, and electrical systems.
n Allow for easy maintenance access, ensuring hospital staff could reach critical utilities without disruption.
n Ensure compliance with hygiene and safety standards, using materials that withstand rigorous hospital cleaning protocols.
The coordination of these installations with multiple trades – including electrical and mechanical engineers – required precision planning and execution. By working closely with all stakeholders, our team ensured that these complex units were installed efficiently and effectively. The project also required the procurement and
installation of six ceiling-mounted birthing hooks – a specialised feature for the midwifery-led birthing unit. These high-strength ceiling hooks, sourced from Croyde Medical, were bolted securely into the concrete slab above the suspended ceiling, using 16 heavy-duty bolts per unit.
Designed to provide complete stability and meeting
the highest safety standards, these are key components in modern birthing environments, offering expectant mothers more flexible, comfortable birthing options. By ensuring the secure and precise installation of these specialist fittings, we contributed to creating a state-of-the-art maternity environment that prioritises patient safety and comfort. At David Bailey Furniture, we are committed to sustainability and reducing environmental impact. For this project, we implemented several eco-friendly initiatives in line with NHS carbon reduction goals. These included: n Use of sustainable materials, ensuring longevity and reduced waste.
n Zero-landfill waste policy, diverting waste from installation into energy generation.
n Energy-efficient manufacturing processes, helping to lower our overall carbon footprint.
By integrating sustainability into every stage of our work, we helped ensure that this new hospital development aligned with modern environmental standards.
Long-term benefits Our fitted furniture solutions were designed for Luton and Dunstable University Hospital to be practical and hygienic, and to enhance the overall hospital experience for staff and patients. The furniture items supplied now allow them to: n Maximise space efficiency, with smart storage solutions that support clinical workflows.
n Improve infection control, with non-porous, easy-to- clean surfaces that meet hospital hygiene requirements.
n Have built in durability, with furniture that can withstand daily use in high-traffic hospital areas.
n Have a calming environment, using carefully chosen finishes and designs to promote patient wellbeing.
n Testimonial Kyle McClelland, Redevelopment Project director at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Hospitals are unique spaces, perhaps the only places where, within a single building, people can experience the entire spectrum of human emotion. One patient or visitor may be celebrating the happiest moment of their life, while another faces one of their worst. This cycle continues 24/7 under one roof. That’s why design and careful configuration of a hospital’s environment are pivotal to the experience of its visitors, staff, and patients. “Fitted furniture can play a crucial role in this emotional
puzzle, shaping the atmosphere and functionality of the space. I am pleased to say that David Bailey Furniture Systems has successfully contributed to this in the New Clinical Buildings at our Luton & Dunstable University Hospital (L&D). DBFS has, via our Principal Contractor, Kier, designed, manufactured, delivered, and installed a comprehensive furniture, fixtures, and equipment package at L&D. Its team has been very supportive throughout the process, and the final product looks fantastic. “I am very happy both with the overall quality of the
package, and the service provided by DBFS. It’s great to see fitted furniture that not only enhances the hospital’s functionality, but also contributes to a calming atmosphere in what can often be a challenging emotional environment. I look forward to working with DBFS again.”
Tony Huggins
Tony Huggins is managing director of David Bailey Furniture Systems, reportedly the country’s fastest growing manufacturer of specialist fitted furniture products for the healthcare sector, schools, medical and veterinary centres. Tony, who joined
Broadstairs-based David Bailey Furniture in September 2021 as Operations manager, is now charged with delivering plans to streamline the business still further following a major investment programme which has seen the company significantly expand its production capacity. David Bailey Furniture has been established for over 40 years, and employs 38 staff. Its Healthcare range of fitted furniture features within some of the country’s largest and most prestigious NHS and private hospitals. It is also regularly specified for other healthcare furniture projects – in applications ranging from health centres and nursing homes to doctors’ surgeries and dental practices. In more recent years the company has also significantly increased its presence in the schools and veterinary markets, and is now a major supplier to the prison sector and other growing niche markets.
October 2025 Health Estate Journal 47
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184
