Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
Short answer: A headwall is the unit or wall section at the head of a hospital patient bed that houses the bedside services in one place: medical gas outlets, electrical receptacles, the nurse call station and lighting controls. The VA’s master specification calls the same assembly a Patient Bed Service Wall. This page is general product information, not medical advice.
What is a headwall?
In the US Department of Veterans Affairs master specification Section 10 25 13, “Patient Bed Service Walls”, the unit is described as a structural framework, removable panels and removable equipment console units that are factory assembled to house all permanent bedside services. The services it lists include lighting fixtures, grounding jacks, power outlets, telephone outlets, the nurse call patient station, medical gas outlets, a television remote control unit and other fittings or devices. The section covers the horizontal and vertical Patient Bed Service Wall and the hidden headwall unit.
So “hospital headwall”, “headwall unit” and “patient room headwall” all describe one thing: the bedside services assembly. The medical gas outlets on it are only one part of the contents.
What a patient room headwall holds
- Medical gas and vacuum outlets: air, oxygen and vacuum outlets. In the VA specification the piping and outlet systems themselves are specified in separate sections (22 62 00 for vacuum and 22 63 00 for gas systems), so the headwall unit is where the services are connected for use, not where the gas is produced.
- Electrical receptacles: the VA examples include red emergency-power duplex receptacles and normal-power duplex receptacles, one of which serves the bed motor.
- Communication: a nurse call audio-visual bed station, telephone outlets and a tele-cart jack.
- Lighting: an auxiliary light with a switch, an overhead or exam light switch, and a bed light powered through the unit.
Horizontal, vertical and hidden headwall units
Horizontal units
The VA specification describes horizontal units with a minimum of three rails (two if the bed light is independent). The middle rail carries power, nurse call and medical gases, and the bottom rail carries a bed bumper and bed-motor power. Vertical chases connect the unit to junction boxes above the ceiling.
Vertical units
The VA specification describes vertical units as free-standing or wall-mounted, with width ranges set by style (see the table below).
Hidden headwall units
Section 10 25 13 also covers a “hidden Headwall unit”. It is the third format named in the VA section.
Fixed and movable gas outlets
The VA specification defines two ways to mount gas outlets on the unit:
- Fixed outlet: permanently installed in one location and unable to move without special tools and shutting off the medical gas involved.
- Movable outlet: either hose-connected to a manifold type (with UL listed, accessible hoses) or relocatable (snap-in) without tools to any one of several fixed locations. Unused locations are covered with a blank (no gas) adapter plate.
Example outlet counts by VA style
The VA specification sets minimum outlet counts by headwall style. The table below reproduces the VA’s own minimums for each style as examples of how one large health system specifies its units. They are not a universal rule for every hospital or country.
| VA style | Oxygen | Air | Vacuum | Emergency (red) receptacles | Normal receptacles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 (single bed) | 2 fixed or 1 movable | 2 fixed or 1 movable | 2 fixed or 2 movable | min. 2 | min. 3 (one for bed motor) |
| A2 (two beds) | 4 fixed or 2 movable | 4 fixed or 2 movable | 4 fixed or 4 movable | min. 2 | min. 5 |
| B1 (single bed) | 4 fixed or 2 movable | 4 fixed or 2 movable | 6 fixed or 3 movable | min. 2 | min. 5 |
| B2 | B1 plus one extra red receptacle for hemodialysis on a dedicated emergency circuit, mounted about 1016 mm (40 in) above finished floor and engraved “DIALYSIS MACHINE ONLY” | ||||
| C | 4 fixed or 2 movable | 4 fixed or 2 movable | 6 fixed or 3 movable | min. 8 | min. 2 (one for bed motor) |
The VA also gives vertical unit widths: 406 to 813 mm (16 to 32 in) for style A1 and at least 762 mm (30 in) for style A2. For the cylinders that supply portable oxygen rather than the wall system, see compressed gas cylinder sizes.
Standards, listing and testing
The VA specification requires patient bed service walls to be listed in the UL Certification Directory (Prefabricated Medical Headwalls) and to conform to NFPA 70 (the National Electrical Code) and NFPA 99 (Health Care Facilities Code), with the assembly and components UL listed or labeled. For what NFPA 99 covers and which edition CMS enforces, see the CASRAI guide to the NFPA 99 Health Care Facilities Code.
Hospitals also maintain the gas side of the headwall. NYU Langone Health’s Safety Policy 133, “Medical Gas Outlets and Piping” (revised July 1, 2025), is one hospital’s own policy, not a general rule. It states that outlets are Diameter-Index Safety System (DISS) type, that piping is labeled per NFPA 99 (2012), that flow-meter adapters must be clear, that the whole medical gas distribution system is inspected and tested at least annually, that verified testing is done by personnel meeting ASSE 6030, and that maintenance and repairs are done by personnel meeting ASSE 6040. For the connectors used on cylinders rather than wall outlets, see CGA fittings, and for a device that attaches to an oxygen supply, the oxygen regulator guide.
Common misunderstandings
- A headwall is not the gas source. It is the bedside connection point. Supply and piping are specified separately.
- It is not only a gas panel. The VA’s definition includes power, nurse call, communication and lighting.
- There is no single universal layout. The VA alone specifies several styles with different outlet counts, and each facility writes its own requirements.
- Fixed and movable are different designs. In the VA definitions a fixed outlet cannot move without special tools and a gas shutoff, while the relocatable (snap-in) type moves between fixed locations without tools.
FAQ
What is a headwall?
A factory-assembled framework with panels and console units at the head of a patient bed that houses the permanent bedside services, per the VA’s Section 10 25 13.
What is a hospital headwall?
The same unit as installed in a hospital patient room, holding medical gas outlets, receptacles, nurse call and lighting controls.
What is a headwall unit?
The VA specification describes three formats: horizontal, vertical (free-standing or wall-mounted) and hidden.
What is in a patient room headwall?
Oxygen, air and vacuum outlets, normal and emergency-power receptacles, a nurse call station and lighting, with counts that vary by style and facility.
Sources
- US Department of Veterans Affairs, Section 10 25 13 “Patient Bed Service Walls”, master specification, revision 05-01-23 (WBDG), https://www.wbdg.org/FFC/VA/VAASC/VA%2010%2025%2013.pdf, checked 2026-10-30.
- NYU Langone Health, Safety Policy 133 “Medical Gas Outlets and Piping”, revised July 1, 2025, https://nyulangone.org/files/policy-133-medical-gas-outlets.pdf, checked 2026-10-30.
