Dialysis Centre Layout Planning
Space requirements, clearances and equipment schedule for haemodialysis units
Planning a dialysis unit starts with one number: how much floor area each treatment station needs. Get that wrong and the room either wastes capital or fails its clinical inspection. This page sets out the figures we work to when we supply dialysis chairs and beds, together with the reference documents that govern them. It is written for architects, medical planners and procurement teams laying out a new unit or refurbishing an existing one.
How much floor space does one dialysis station need?
The working rule for a station built around a dialysis chair plus a dialysis machine is 9 m². A station built around a dialysis bed needs about 12 m² — roughly 30% more, because a bed occupies a longer footprint and needs access on both long sides for staff to reach the patient.
| Station type | Planning area per station |
|---|---|
| Dialysis chair + machine | 9 m² |
| Dialysis bed + machine | 12 m² (approx. 30% more) |
| Clear distance between chairs | 90 cm minimum |
| Typical chair width options | 55 cm or 60 cm seat width |
Figures are planning ranges used in dialysis unit design. Final values must be checked against the healthcare facility guidance applicable in your country.
Why chair width is a layout decision, not just a comfort option
Chairs are commonly offered in 55 cm and 60 cm seat widths. Choosing between them is a planning decision before it is a comfort decision: a 5 cm difference per chair, repeated across a row of ten stations, changes how many stations fit on a wall. Narrower chairs let a tight unit hit its station count; wider chairs suit a bariatric-capable or higher-acuity patient mix. Fix this before the room dimensions are frozen, not after.
The 90 cm clear distance between chairs is the figure that lets staff walk around a chair and reach the far side of a patient without disturbing a neighbour. Where a unit handles higher-acuity patients or frequent emergencies, plan wider.
Where the weighing scale goes
Every station needs a pre- and post-treatment weight, and where that scale sits shapes the plan more than most people expect. Two approaches:
- A separate weighing room. Costs floor area and adds a walk for the patient and nurse before and after every session — twice per treatment, per patient.
- A scale integrated into the chair. The patient is weighed in the treatment position, with no separate room and no additional transfer. This removes a room from the plan and shortens the treatment cycle.
If the layout has already been frozen around a separate scale room, a chair-mounted or stand-alone dialysis scale placed at the entry of the treatment area is the usual compromise.
Equipment schedule per station
| Item | Planning note |
|---|---|
| Dialysis chair or bed | Show the reclined footprint on the drawing, not the upright one. A chair that fits the bay sitting up can overrun it once the backrest and leg rest extend. |
| Dialysis machine | Position for staff access to the machine and to the vascular access site at the same time. |
| Over-bed / chair table | Needed for meals and for patient belongings during a session lasting several hours. |
| IV pole | Allow a clear approach on at least one side of every chair. |
| Weighing scale | Either integrated in the chair or sited at the entry to the treatment floor. |
Reference documents
These are the published guidance documents most unit layouts are checked against. Confirm which apply in your jurisdiction before signing off a plan.
- UK Department of Health — Health Building Note 07-01: Satellite dialysis unit
- International Health Facility Guidelines (iHFG) — Part B, Renal Dialysis Unit
- US Department of Veterans Affairs — PG-18-9 Space Planning Criteria, Chapter 316: Dialysis Center
Drawings and dimensions for your plan
We can supply dimensional drawings of our dialysis chairs, dialysis beds and over-bed tables for use in your layout, in DWG and other CAD formats, together with the reclined footprint envelope for each model. If you are setting out a unit and need a chair block that reflects the real extended footprint, contact us with the model you are considering and we will send the drawings.
For chair specifications — dimensions, weight capacity, backrest and knee rest angles, motor count — see the PY-YD-345 dialysis chair page.
