Vanry VM-6

Two movements, both by hand: the backrest and the leg section. The sheet's Chinese name, 手动双摇床, translates as a manual double-crank bed, and its two labelled pictograms, 背部升降 and 腿部升降, show those sections rising and falling. The platform stays at 500 mm and section angles are unpublished. Request the angles and crank positions from the seller. Neither movement changes the platform height, which matters for hoisting.

Very possibly, but it needs measuring. A mobile hoist's legs must pass beneath the bed so the boom can reach over the patient, and the photograph shows an open four-leg base with space beneath most of the platform. The clearance height under the frame and the width between the legs are not published. Measure both against the hoist the provider uses before planning hoist transfers. A bed that cannot take a hoist underneath forces an awkward approach from the end.

The height from the floor to the underside of the frame, which must clear the hoist legs; the width of open space between the bed's legs, which must fit the hoist's leg spread; and anything beneath the bed, such as a cross member or stored items, that would block the hoist. Check also that the hoist boom can reach the patient at the bed's fixed height with the mattress fitted. Record the result so staff know the combination works. Repeat the check if the hoist or mattress changes.

To the hoist and slings, yes; to the bed, no. The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 require equipment used to lift people, including hoists and their slings, to be thoroughly examined at least every six months by a competent person. HSE guidance states that a bed's principal function is to be a bed, so the bed falls under PUWER. Keep the hoist and sling examination records alongside the bed's own maintenance records. Ask the seller whether compatible hoists and slings can be supplied.

The photograph shows a black brake lever on each castor, which suggests each castor is braked individually. That means all four must be applied, and checked, before a transfer; a single unbraked castor lets the bed move as the hoist takes the patient's weight. The braking arrangement is not published, so confirm it with the seller and include every castor in the pre-transfer check. A brake that slips should take the bed out of use until it is repaired.

Apply all four brakes, lower the rail on the side the hoist will approach, and clear the floor beneath and around the bed. Choose the sling assessed for the person, and follow the provider's moving and handling policy, which will usually require two trained staff. Position the hoist legs beneath the bed, attach the sling, and lift slowly while checking the patient's comfort. Raise and relock the rail afterwards if the assessment calls for it. Talk the person through each step as the lift begins.

It can. The bed cannot be raised to make fitting a sling easier for staff, or lowered to reduce how far the hoist must lift, so every transfer happens at 500 mm plus the mattress. Staff may bend more when rolling a patient onto a sling, which belongs in the manual handling assessment. Check that the hoist's lifting range works comfortably at that height. A hoist with a wide lifting range handles it most easily.

It should. With no lower chassis beneath most of the platform, a mop or vacuum can reach the floor under the bed more easily, and there is less frame for dust to collect on. That supports infection prevention on wards and in care homes. Keep the space clear of stored items so cleaning, and hoist access, stay easy. Stored items beneath the bed undo both benefits.

Openings in and around the rail are the concern, and none are published. MHRA recommends no more than 60 mm between rail bars and under 120 mm for any opening within the rail or beside the platform, with the top of the rail standing at least 220 mm above an uncompressed mattress. Folding the rails down helps a hoist approach, though fingers should stay off the posts as they fold. Ask for the manufacturer's test data, then check the fitted rails with the chosen mattress in place. Oversized gaps call for rail covers, or for a decision to manage without rails.

Residential and nursing care, homecare and community settings where people need backrest and leg support, do not need frequent height changes, and may be transferred by mobile hoist. It suits rooms where a hoist can approach from the side and the floor beneath the bed can be kept clear. It is less suited to people needing heavy hands-on care, where an adjustable working height protects staff. A ceiling-track hoist, where installed, removes the clearance question altogether.

No load figure appears on the sheet, and it decides who the bed can take once the mattress and any accessories are counted; get it in writing before allocation. Flattening a hand-wound backrest for chest compressions takes time, so check for a quick-release, and keep a CPR board ready if none is fitted. At 1000 mm overall, the frame is too narrow to suit bariatric patients. Hoist slings add nothing to the bed's load, but the person's weight must suit both bed and hoist.

The 2026 medical bed standard, IEC 80601-2-52, covers medical electrical beds, and a bed without electrical parts falls outside that definition, so ask which standard the VM-6 was tested against for stability, mechanical safety and rail dimensions. Hebei Vanry Medical Devices Co., Ltd, based in Baoding, says importers also resell its beds under their own names. The VM-6 does not appear on Vanry's website. Check the model code, the legal manufacturer named on the declaration of conformity, and whether the bed is still made. For this model, the manufacturer's rail test results are the document most worth requesting.