Healthcare furniture under the microscope
Driven by Australia’s aging population, the growth in the healthcare sector is leading to strong investment in hospital and medical furniture. Furthermore, healthcare and social assistance is projected to make the largest contribution to employment growth in coming years. Specialist hospital and healthcare furniture suppliers will be vital in supporting this growth.
At Emanate, we have developed a range of hospital & health care furniture that is regarded as best practice whilst also satisfying the industry’s tight budgets. Our range includes medical office furniture, waiting room chairs, bariatric chairs as well as furniture suitable for medical and mental health consultations.
Recent Healthcare Furniture Projects
As an example of the industry’s growth, James Davies, Managing Director of Emanate Design, presented an overview of some recent medical furniture upgrades:
‘At Bega Hospital, in southern NSW, we were contracted to supply hospital room furniture, medical office furniture, fixtures and equipment. Specifically, we provided tables, meeting tables, height adjustable desks, break out and meeting chairs, soft seating, café chairs, task chairs and custom-made bariatric chairs with a 300 kg weight rating. We also supplied all storage, tambours, laterals and lockers.’
‘At Byron Bay Hospital, in northern NSW, we had a sourcing, supply and project management agreement for all their healthcare furniture, fixtures and equipment,’ Josephine said. ‘The team at Emanate Design managed the sourcing and installation of all workstations, height adjustable desks, white boards, storage units, break out chairs, soft seating, café chairs, task chairs, meeting tables and meeting chairs.’
In response to the Byron Bay Hospital project, Emanate Design received a glowing testimonial from Byron Bay’s Hospital’s Project Manager, Stuart Clark, expressing that Emanate can manage projects in any location:
‘The Emanate management team has been efficient, organised and highly proficient in the tendering and procurement, with accurate invoicing, delivery and installation for the project in a remote location some 800km from their base in Sydney. All items were delivered and installed on time and with exceptional quality, with tradesmen and managers that have an excellent knowledge of the furniture industry and products, Health Infrastructure NSW guidelines and expectations and working with a tier 1 head contractor.’
In terms of future projects, Emanate Design also supplied St George Hospital in Sydney with office furniture whilst also in the process of quoting other medical establishments for hospital and waiting room furniture, custom bariatric chairs and wet room benches.
Emanate's Rigorous Standards
James commented on the high standards required as a healthcare furniture supplier:
‘All our hospital furniture products have to go through rigorous testing to ensure they are fit for purpose. We often use Crypton Vinyl fabric due to its strong stain resistance. The industry also demands a minimum seven year warranty, which means we only supply the best quality products, and we offer a 48 hour delivery service.’
Bariatric Chairs
Development of the furniture industry means that Emanate has evolved. One way this has been accomplished is through our incorporation of bariatric chairs . In recent years, bariatrics have become a must-have product for hospital furniture suppliers. These specialised seats provide comfortable and safe seating for overweight patients. Emanate Design’s Vincent Healthcare Chair has been introduced to hold a weight capacity of up to 250kg, while the popular Kara stackable healthcare chair is 200mm and suitable for patients up to 200kg.
The Vincent Healthcare Chair offers a lot of support for those who require an overall bigger frame alongside its ergonomic arm pads for added comfort. It also allows for mobility with transit wheels on the back legs alongside adjustable legs for the personalisation of the patient.
The Kara Healthcare Chair withholds a simpler frame, also featuring an extra wide surface area. The arms are slightly sloped for convenience and adjustable legs are optional.
For more information on our healthcare furniture range contact the Emanate Design sales team today.
