The framework for healthcare lighting
Healthcare buildings are workplaces, so the baseline duty is still regulation 8 of the Workplace Regulations 1992: suitable and sufficient lighting for staff. On top of that, patients and residents are often frail, have reduced vision or are at risk of falls, so the lighting has to serve them as well. The key documents are:
- SLL Lighting Guide 2 (LG2), Lighting for healthcare premises (2019): the main UK design guide for hospitals, clinics and surgeries. See the CIBSE guides index.
- BS EN 12464-1:2021: includes a schedule of health care premises covering wards, examination rooms, operating areas and support spaces.
- Health Technical Memoranda (HTMs) and Health Building Notes (HBNs): NHS guidance on engineering services and room design. HTM 06-01 deals with electrical services supply and distribution, including resilience of supply to clinical areas, rather than setting lux levels; it matters for lighting because it governs what stays lit during a power failure.
- BS 5266-1:2025 and BS EN 1838:2024: emergency lighting, including escape routes and high-risk task areas.
For care homes, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates the service, and the Society of Light and Lighting's LG9 covers lighting in communal residential buildings.
Hospital lighting standards
Wards and bedded areas
LG2 describes several lighting scenes for bedded areas rather than a single level, because a ward is used for very different activities across 24 hours. Typical values quoted from LG2 are:
| Ward scene | Typical illuminance | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| General ward lighting | 100 lx | Ambient level; Ra 80 or better |
| Patient reading | 300 lx | Patient-controlled bedhead light |
| General nursing care | 300 lx over the bed | Routine care tasks |
| Examination or treatment at the bed | 1000 lx | Usually by a portable examination light |
| Watch lighting | 15 to 20 lx at the bedhead | Observation without waking the patient |
| Night lighting | About 5 lx in the ward; no more than 0.5 lx at the pillow | Safe movement and observation at night |
The night and watch levels are as important as the daytime ones. Night lighting must let staff move safely and see a patient's face and condition, without disturbing sleep. Too much light at the pillow is a common failing of retrofit LED bedhead units.
Examination and treatment rooms
BS EN 12464-1:2021 sets 1000 lx for examination and treatment with Ra 90, because clinicians need to judge skin tone, colour and fine detail. The general lighting in examination rooms is typically 500 lx, with the examination level provided locally.
Operating theatres and critical care
Theatres and intensive care have specialist requirements, including operating luminaires that are outside the scope of a general lux survey. We survey the general and ambient lighting in these spaces and record them against the relevant BS EN 12464-1:2021 and LG2 values, but do not certify specialist medical equipment.
GP surgeries and clinics
Consulting and treatment rooms in GP surgeries, dental practices and clinics usually need around 500 lx general lighting with a 1000 lx, high colour-rendering examination light. Reception and admin areas follow office lighting standards, and waiting areas and corridors need even lighting without glare, particularly for patients with poor sight or mobility.
Care home lighting and the CQC
What CQC expects
CQC inspects against the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Regulation 15 requires premises and equipment to be clean, suitable for purpose and properly maintained, and regulation 12 requires care to be provided safely, including managing risks such as falls. Lighting is not given a lux figure in the regulations, but poor lighting in bedrooms, corridors, bathrooms and stairs is a clear falls and safety risk, and dark or gloomy environments can be raised under both regulations.
Lighting for older people
The ageing eye lets in much less light than a young eye, adapts more slowly between bright and dark areas, and is more sensitive to glare. For residents this means:
- Higher and more even light levels than the minimums used for younger working-age adults, particularly in lounges, dining rooms and bathrooms.
- Avoiding glare from bare lamps, shiny floors and low-angle sunlight, which can cause disorientation and falls.
- Gradual transitions between rooms and corridors, so residents are not stepping from a bright room into a dark passage.
- Good contrast between floors, walls, handrails and doors, which helps people with dementia or low vision find their way.
- Night routes from bed to bathroom lit at a low level, so residents can move safely without full lighting being switched on.
- Daylight and circadian rhythm: good daytime light exposure supports sleep and wellbeing, especially for people with dementia.
Emergency lighting is also critical in care homes, where residents may need assisted evacuation. See our emergency lighting checks.
How we survey healthcare premises
We plan surveys around clinical activity and residents' routines, working in occupied areas with minimal disruption and agreeing access to wards or bedrooms in advance. We measure each lighting scene separately where controls allow, so day, night and watch levels are all recorded, and report against LG2, BS EN 12464-1:2021 and the needs of older occupants. Our surveys are carried out by Polarity Electrics, an NICEIC approved contractor.
Book a healthcare lighting survey
We survey hospitals, clinics, GP surgeries and care homes across London and the South East. Care home and GP surgery surveys start from £220, with the price confirmed before booking. See hospital and healthcare lux surveys or book a survey.
Frequently asked questions
What lighting standard applies to hospitals?
The main UK design guide is SLL Lighting Guide 2, Lighting for healthcare premises (2019), used alongside BS EN 12464-1:2021 and NHS Health Technical Memoranda for engineering services.
How many lux are needed for medical examination?
BS EN 12464-1:2021 sets 1000 lx for examination and treatment with a colour rendering index of Ra 90, usually provided by a local examination light.
Does HTM 06-01 set lux levels?
No. HTM 06-01 covers electrical services supply and distribution in healthcare buildings, including resilience of supply. Lux levels come from SLL LG2 and BS EN 12464-1:2021.
Does CQC set lighting levels for care homes?
CQC does not set lux levels, but Regulation 15 requires suitable, properly maintained premises and Regulation 12 requires safe care, so poor lighting that increases falls risk can be raised at inspection.
How much does a care home lux survey cost?
Care home and GP surgery surveys start from £220, with the final price confirmed before booking.