Nurse call systems: the short answer
A nurse call system lets residents and patients call for help from a bed, chair, bathroom or while moving around, and shows staff who is calling, from where and how urgently. It is for care homes, nursing homes, hospitals, hospices and assisted living. The design benchmark is HTM 08-03, and every call and response should be logged as evidence for the CQC. Price depends on rooms, call points and wired or wireless design, so we quote from a free survey.
The standards that apply
HTM 08-03. The Department of Health technical memorandum on bedhead services, which includes nurse call. It describes call types, such as patient call, staff assistance and emergency call, and how each should be signalled and distinguished, so staff know how urgently to respond. It was written for healthcare premises, and it is the benchmark most care providers also design to.
BS 5839-9 is not a nurse call standard. It is sometimes quoted in tenders, but BS 5839-9 covers emergency voice communication systems: fire telephones and disabled refuge call points used during an evacuation. A building with refuges may need a BS 5839-9 system as well, but it will not tell you how to design nurse call.
BS EN 50134. The standard series for social alarm systems: the pendants, alarm units and monitoring used in telecare. Where residents live independently with alarms that dial out to a monitoring centre, as in some assisted living schemes, BS EN 50134 is the more relevant standard.
CQC and the regulations. Registered providers must meet the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Regulation 12 covers safe care and treatment, and Regulation 15 requires premises and equipment to be suitable and properly maintained. The CQC does not specify a nurse call product, but inspectors look for evidence that people can summon help and that staff respond. Call logs with response times are the most direct evidence you have.
Accessible toilets. Approved Document M expects an emergency assistance alarm in wheelchair-accessible toilets. In care settings these calls can be brought onto the nurse call system, so they reach staff wherever they are rather than sounding only locally.
How a nurse call project runs
- Survey and review. Bedrooms, bathrooms, lounges and corridors, residents' needs and mobility, your existing system and call logs, and how staff work at night. Free.
- Design and specification. The call point for each location, call types and escalation, displays and pagers, dementia-friendly and wanderer-management options, and integration with fire alarms and door access.
- Quote. Itemised by room type, with wired and wireless options where both are viable.
- Installation. Phased room by room around residents' routines, mealtimes and visiting hours, so no room is left without cover.
- Commissioning. Every call point tested, call types and escalation proved, and logging and reporting confirmed.
- Handover and training. Training for day and night staff, quick guides for new starters, and re-training on request.
- Maintenance. Planned visits, pendant and battery checks, and fault response. Maintenance contract customers get a 4-hour response to emergencies and a same-day response to non-emergency faults.
What's included in the price
Our nurse call quotes include the survey, design, call points, pull cords, bathroom and overdoor units, displays, the pendants or wearables specified, any wireless infrastructure, cabling, the controller and logging software, commissioning, the integrations agreed at design, and staff training. Maintenance and additional pendants are priced separately.
How much does a nurse call system cost?
Nurse call pricing depends on the number of rooms and call points, the mix of bedside units, pull cords, pendants and wearables, whether the system is wired or wireless, and what it integrates with. Care buildings vary too much for a meaningful published range, so we quote from a free survey and review of your current provision, itemised by room type so you can phase the work if that suits your budget. Book a review.
Who needs nurse call in East Anglia
- Residential and nursing care homes: bedrooms, en-suites, lounges and bathrooms, with call logs ready for the CQC.
- Dementia care: discreet call points, door and bed-exit sensors, and wanderer management.
- Hospitals, clinics and hospices: HTM 08-03 call types, with emergency calls clearly distinct.
- Assisted living and extra care housing: pendants and in-flat call points, sometimes linked to telecare.
- Supported housing: staff attack and lone worker alarms for staff.
Nurse call maintenance
A nurse call system is life safety equipment and should be maintained like it. A maintenance visit tests every call point and pull cord, checks pendants and batteries, confirms displays and escalation, reviews fault and call logs, and updates software. Pull cords get tied up or cut short, pendants go missing and batteries run down, so regular checks catch problems before a resident is affected. Maintenance contract customers get a 4-hour response to emergencies and a same-day response to non-emergency faults. We can also review a system another company installed and advise honestly on maintaining or replacing it.
Guides and further reading
- How Much Does a Commercial Fire Alarm Cost? These are from our actual prices!
- Fire alarm certificates: which ones you need, who issues them and what they cost
- How much does fire alarm servicing cost? What 52 of our maintenance contracts charge
- How often should a fire alarm be tested and serviced? The BS 5839-1:2025 schedule
- Three Fire Safety Changes Taking Effect in 2026
