Hospital & Healthcare Curtains

What fire rating do hospital curtains need?

Window curtains in hospitals and healthcare buildings are specified against BS 5867 Part 2, the British Standard for the flammability of curtains, drapes and window blinds. Wards and any area where patients sleep or may need help to evacuate are normally specified to Type C, the more demanding test that also has to keep its performance after a defined cleansing procedure. NHS estates add their own layer: the Firecode guidance in HTM 05-03 Part C covers textiles and furnishings in healthcare premises, and trust fire safety advisers will usually specify against it.

The premises fire risk assessment, and the trust's fire safety adviser on NHS work, are the authority on what applies where. Every fabric on this page carries a current BS 5867 Part 2 test report; use the BS 5867 Type C curtains collection to filter to Type C.

Choosing curtain fabrics for healthcare

Healthcare curtains have to survive a laundry regime that would destroy most contract fabrics, look calm rather than clinical, and come with paperwork. This collection is drawn from the healthcare ranges of the contract print houses for that reason. What matters:

• Thermal disinfection. Infection prevention teams generally want textiles that can be washed to the NHS thermal disinfection standard, 71°C for three minutes or an equivalent cycle. Many fabrics here are printed on base cloths designed for exactly that; check the washing guidance on each product page and choose accordingly.
• Inherently FR, not treated. A treated fabric can lose its rating under repeated high-temperature washing. Every fabric we list is inherently fire retardant, with the performance in the fibre, which is why we do not list topically treated fabrics at all.
• Calm, wayfinding-friendly design. Soft botanicals, gentle geometrics and low-contrast textures suit wards and waiting areas. Colour can be used to distinguish wards or bays, and plainer, lower-contrast designs are kinder in dementia and mental health settings.
• Light control. Dimout weights soften daylight on wards; blackout suits sleep clinics, on-call rooms and ophthalmology.
• Window curtains, not cubicle curtains. This page is for window drapery. Bed-space cubicle curtains on ceiling track are a separate product with their own antimicrobial and disposable options; ask us if you need both priced together.
• Care homes. Residential care wants a homelier register than a hospital; see our care home curtains collection.

Specifying and ordering

Every curtain is made to measure in the UK. Choose the fabric, enter your drop and width, select a heading (pencil pleat, eyelet, wave or pinch pleat), and the configurator prices it immediately. For a ward refurbishment, a new-build fit-out or a framework call-off, or where you would rather send us a window schedule, request a quote and we will price the whole project as a single quotation across all the fabric houses we carry, including Panaz, Skopos, Edmund Bell, iLiv and Edinburgh Weavers.

Fire test certificates are supplied for the fire risk assessment and O&M files, and samples are available on every fabric for infection control and design review.

Healthcare curtain FAQs

Do hospital curtains have to be fire retardant?

Yes. Healthcare premises fall under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, NHS estates additionally follow Firecode, and a fire safety adviser will expect window curtains to meet BS 5867 Part 2, normally Type C in patient areas. Every fabric on this page is tested to BS 5867 Part 2.

Can the curtains be washed at 71°C?

Many of the fabrics in this collection are designed for high-temperature laundering; the washing guidance is on each product page and we can confirm it against your laundry's cycle before you order.

Can I see samples before ordering?

Yes. Request samples from the product page, or tell us the department and colour scheme and we will put together a selection.