Hospital door hardware must withstand environments that place exceptional demands on it. High footfall, 24/7 operation, the strictest hygiene requirements, and the need for accessible movement all mean that hospital door hardware must perform consistently at a high level.
At the new Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in Leeds, for example, we scheduled and supplied a door hardware package designed for durability, accessibility and clinical performance. The project highlights all too well the principles that apply across all healthcare settings: hardware that works reliably, cleans easily, lasts longer, and supports patient dignity.
Why Hospital Door Hardware Must Meet Higher Standards
Healthcare environments are uniquely challenging. Unlike commercial offices or residential buildings, hospitals:
- Experience constant use by staff, patients, equipment trolleys and wheelchairs.
- Require infection-control friendly finishes that withstand harsh cleaning regimes.
- Depend on safe, predictable operation to support accessibility and emergency response.
- Need hardware that integrates with specialist functions such as anti-ligature design, automation, access control, and fire safety.
These demands mean that every component – hinges, handles, closers, locks and kick and touch plates – must be chosen for resilience, performance and simple ongoing maintenance requirements.
Designing for Accessibility and Independence
In clinical environments, hardware plays a critical role in how patients move through the building. At the Rob Burrow MND Centre, accessible handles, carefully calibrated closers, and automatic door systems were chosen to support people whose movement and communication may be impaired.
Key Accessibility Requirements
The same principles apply across all hospitals:
- Low operating forces across all door types
- Easy-grip ergonomic lever handles
- Consistently top-notch performance to support planned patient pathways through the hospital
- Automation where independent movement needs to be preserved
- Vision panels and hardware combinations that support safe navigation
Durability: The Foundation of Door Hardware for Hospitals
Corridors with heavy pedestrian, trolley, and wheelchair traffic, wards and treatment rooms, and public areas like waiting rooms will need door hardware that performs consistently and continuously.
The typical features of durable door hardware for hospitals:
- Stainless steel or special finishes that can resist both wear and tear and corrosion from cleaning chemicals
- High-performance hinge bearings for long, maintenance-free service life
- Commercial-grade door closers successfully tested under EN1195
- Robust lock cases and latches specified for continuous operation. Many areas in hospitals, like drug stores and pharmacies, demand the highest levels of security
- Concealed fixings to reduce tampering and simplify cleaning
Em-B’s solutions for the Rob Burrow Centre for MND, Leeds were selected for longevity under constant use, reducing maintenance and ensuring predictable performance.
Case Studies: Hospital Hardware That Performs
Future-Proofing Bishop Auckland Hospital: a complex refurbishment requiring durable, reliable hardware across circulation spaces and clinical areas.
Acre Mills Outpatients, Huddersfield: a blend of performance and visual quality, with hardware selected to complement an upgraded outpatient environment.
Rob Burrow Centre for MND, Leeds: a fully accessible, design-led healthcare facility where hardware is needed to support hygiene, dignity and ease of movement.
These projects illustrate a common theme: healthcare hardware must do far more than open and close doors. It must contribute to safety, flow, infection control and the overall patient experience.
Choosing the Right Hospital Door Hardware: Key Considerations
When specifying door hardware for hospitals, architects, contractors and estates teams should consider bringing in an experienced architectural ironmonger like Em-B Solutions who can advise on:
- Conformity to standards, durability and performance
- Compatibility with fire, smoke and acoustic requirements
- Ease of cleaning and bacterial resistance
- Reduced-ligature solutions
- Integration with access control, automation or staff-only areas
- Future maintenance demands and component availability
There is guidance available:
- Department of Health: Health Building Note 00-01 General design guidance for healthcare buildings
- Approved Document B (fire safety):
Get in touch
If you are planning a hospital refurbishment or new healthcare facility, Em-B can support you with hardware schedules, product selection and project-by-project technical guidance.
Get in touch to discuss durable, high-performance hospital door hardware solutions for clinical environments.
It must withstand constant use, offer enhanced durability, meet strict hygiene requirements, support accessibility, and integrate with fire, smoke and security systems.
Stainless steel or antimicrobial finishes are common because of their durability and ability to withstand rigorous cleaning.
With easy operation, predictable performance, entrapment prevention, and secure movement through clinical spaces.
Correctly specified hardware significantly reduces lifetime maintenance by resisting early wear, damage or alignment issues.
Getting Hospital Door Hardware Right
Hospital door hardware sits at the intersection of safety, accessibility, hygiene and long-term performance. When it is specified well, it supports clinical workflows, protects vulnerable users and stands up to some of the harshest operating conditions found in any building type. When it is specified poorly, it quickly becomes a source of maintenance issues, accessibility complaints and compliance risk.
As healthcare estates continue to evolve, door hardware must do more than meet minimum standards. It needs to operate predictably, withstand continuous use, integrate seamlessly with fire safety and access control strategies, and contribute to environments that feel calm and dignified rather than institutional. This is particularly important in settings where patients may have limited mobility, strength or independence, and where staff rely on smooth, intuitive movement through the building at all times.
Projects such as the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease demonstrate the value of treating door hardware as a core part of the building’s performance strategy, not an afterthought. By addressing durability, hygiene, accessibility and future maintenance at the specification stage, healthcare teams can reduce whole-life costs while improving day-to-day experience for patients, staff and visitors alike.
Ultimately, hospital door hardware that performs under pressure helps clinical environments function safely, efficiently and with respect for the people who rely on them every day.
