What Opemed does

OpeMed (United Care) Ltd. is a UK-based manufacturer and installer of ceiling hoist systems and patient handling equipment, operating under the Astor Bannerman Group with headquarters in Cheltenham. Its core product portfolio centers on the OT200 compact ceiling hoist, OT400 bariatric ceiling hoist, ceiling track solutions including XY and H-frame configurations, and the Monarch portable hoist, complemented by assisted bathing products (height-adjustable baths, wash basins, changing tables, shower trolleys) and ancillary items such as through-floor lifts. The company's proprietary SurveyPlan tool supports ceiling hoist layout design for complex multi-room installations.

The business model combines hardware sales with project-based installation and design services, sold directly in the UK and through an exclusive dealer network across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Australasia. Customer segments are hospitals (primary), nursing homes, domestic/home adaptation projects (often through housing trusts and occupational therapists), and public buildings served via the Changing Places accessibility campaign. Notable enterprise deployments include a 172-room installation at Bendigo Hospital (Australia), a 42-room project at Chirec Hospital Delta (Belgium), 26 bariatric rooms at Al-Amiri Hospital (Kuwait), and over 35 Changing Places facilities within Tesco stores.

Opemed co-founded the Changing Places Consortium alongside Muscular Dystrophy UK, and its Managing Director Nick Kent is co-founder of Aveso, the official sponsor of the Changing Places Campaign, positioning the company to benefit from UK government accessibility mandates. Revenue, funding, and detailed financials are not disclosed in the available data.

Name

Opemed

Legal name

OpeMed (United Care) Ltd.

Website

https://opemed.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Opemed manufactures and installs ceiling hoists and patient handling equipment for hospitals, care homes, domestic adaptations, and Changing Places public facilities across the UK, Europe, Middle East, and Australasia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Patient Handling Equipment / Medical Mobility Equipment

NAICS

Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841), Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842)

akta.pro primary industry

Smart Home & Assistive Technology Installation for Aging-in-Place (HSABAJAI)

Keywords

• Ceiling hoist systems
• Patient handling equipment
• Bariatric ceiling hoists
• Assisted bathing solutions
• Changing places facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Farnham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ceiling Hoist Manufacturing and Sales: Manufacturing and selling ceiling hoists (OT200, OT400) and ceiling track solutions directly to hospitals, care homes, and domestic customers.
2. Installation Services: Complete installation services including technical consultation, design advice, fixing solutions, and equipment training for the installed systems.
3. Changing Places Facilities: Design and installation of complete Changing Places toilet facilities for severely disabled people, including adult-sized changing benches and hoists, as part of government-mandated accessibility requirements.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

OpeMed manufactures and installs high-quality ceiling hoists and patient handling equipment for hospitals, nursing homes, and domestic environments. Its product portfolio centers on ceiling-mounted hoist systems (OT200 Compact, OT400 Bariatric, Monarch Portable, and XY/H-Frame Ceiling Track Solutions) plus assisted bathing and patient hygiene equipment. The company delivers a full project lifecycle including technical consultation, custom design, on-site installation, and end-user training.

Product overview

OpeMed manufactures and installs high-quality ceiling hoists and patient handling equipment for hospitals, nursing homes, and domestic environments. The core product portfolio centers on ceiling hoist systems (including OT200 Compact, OT400 Bariatric, Ceiling Track Solutions, and the Monarch Portable), complemented by a comprehensive range of assisted bathing products (Assisted Baths, Wash Basins, Changing Tables/Trolleys, Astor Aquba) and complementary patient handling equipment including shower trolleys, height-adjustable hydrotherapy baths, and through-floor lifts. The company also offers design tools like SurveyPlan for ceiling hoist layout planning. Products are distributed through the Astor Bannerman Group network across the UK, Europe, Middle East, and Australasia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Astor Bannerman: Parent group brand under which Opemed operates as part of the Astor Bannerman Group

Products and services

• OT200 Compact Ceiling Hoist A compact ceiling-mounted patient lift designed for hospitals, nursing homes, and domestic environments, enabling safe and efficient patient transfers from bed to chair. Removable design enables portability between rooms.
• OT400 Bariatric Ceiling Hoist A heavy-duty ceiling hoist designed for bariatric patients, providing safe transfer capabilities for larger weight capacities in healthcare facilities such as bariatric rooms at hospitals.
• Ceiling Track Solutions Ceiling-mounted rail and track systems (XY or H-frame configurations) that provide overhead coverage for patient lifting across multiple rooms or specific areas within healthcare facilities.
• Monarch Portable Ceiling Hoist A portable ceiling hoist that can be moved between rooms and locations, providing flexible patient handling capabilities across healthcare and domestic settings.
• Astor Aquba An assisted washbasin solution designed for disabled or mobility-limited patients, providing accessible washbasin facilities in healthcare or domestic settings.
• Assisted Baths Specially designed bathtubs with accessibility features for assisted bathing of disabled or elderly patients in care facilities and domestic settings.
• Wash Basins Height-adjustable washbasins designed for wheelchair users and patients with mobility limitations, providing accessible handwashing facilities in care settings.
• Changing Tables and Trolleys Height-adjustable changing tables and trolleys designed for patient handling during hygiene and care routines in medical, care home, or domestic settings.
• OpeSpray Shower Trolley A shower trolley designed for patient bathing, providing a mobile surface for washing patients who cannot use standard shower facilities.
• Height Adjustable Hydrotherapy Bath A hydrotherapy bath with adjustable height features, equipped with lights, air spa, and music options for therapeutic patient treatment in clinical and domestic settings.
• Height Adjustable Changing Bench An adjustable-height bench for patient changing and care routines, designed for domestic adaptation and care home settings.
• XY / H-Track Ceiling Hoist System A ceiling hoist mounting system using XY or H-frame configuration, providing flexible coverage across rooms including gate systems for comprehensive patient transfer coverage.
• Through Floor Lift A through-floor lift system enabling patient transfer between different floor levels, particularly designed for accessible home adaptations.
• SurveyPlan Ceiling Hoist Layout Design Service A proprietary ceiling-hoist layout design capability that supports optimal system positioning, site planning, and project quoting for healthcare and domestic installations.
• Changing Places Facilities Design and Installation Design and installation of complete Changing Places toilet facilities for severely disabled people, incorporating adult-sized changing benches and hoists as part of accessibility compliance in public buildings and retail locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over twenty bedrooms fitted with OpeMed Hoisting Systems at Holy Cross Hospital
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Astor Bannerman GroupcoreOthersOpeMed is part of the Astor Bannerman Group, a company specializing in disability patient handling equipment. The group includes multiple brands under unified management.
• Wrekin Housing TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpeMed works alongside Wrekin Housing Trust on home adaptation projects, combining housing expertise with accessibility equipment installation for disabled residents.
• Maggie Downs (Independent Occupational Therapist)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIndependent Occupational Therapist Maggie Downs collaborates with OpeMed on case management home renovation projects, providing expert assessment of client needs.
• Belgian Dealer (exclusive)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOpeMed works with exclusive dealers in Belgium for local market coverage, working closely on large hospital installations like Chirec Hospital Delta.
• Dealership Network (Europe, Asia, Middle East, Australasia)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOpeMed supports dealerships throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australasia for international market expansion and project delivery.
• TescocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpeMed (with Aveso) partnered with Tesco on a project building over 35 Changing Places facilities within Tesco stores, with Tesco leading the way at 80% more than other supermarkets.
• Muscular Dystrophy UK (MDUK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDUK co-chairs the Changing Places Consortium with OpeMed. OpeMed and Aveso are proud sponsors and official suppliers of Changing Places toilets, working closely with the charity to grow the campaign.
• AvesocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNick Kent is Co-Founder of Aveso, the Official Sponsor of the Changing Places Campaign. Aveso and OpeMed work together as integral parts of the campaign as sponsors and official suppliers.
• Habinteg AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKerry Thompson, OpeMed guest blogger and accessibility campaigner, joined Habinteg's advisory board on their campaign for better accessible housing.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hill-Rom (Baxter): Baxter-owned broad-line hospital equipment manufacturer with a patient handling portfolio including lifts and therapeutic surfaces. Competes with Opemed on hospital tenders, but Hill-Rom's wider medical device portfolio addresses ICU, surgical, and diagnostic categories where Opemed does not play.
• Invacare: Broad-line mobility and patient handling manufacturer offering patient lifts, slings, and accessibility equipment alongside wheelchairs and respiratory products. Overlaps with Opemed on ceiling/mobile lifts and domestic adaptations but operates at much broader scale across multiple product categories.

Direct peers

• Guldmann: Danish-based global manufacturer of ceiling-mounted hoist systems, patient lifts, and transfer aids used in hospitals, care homes, and accessible housing. Guldmann is Opemed's closest direct competitor in ceiling hoist technology, sharing the same clinical and end-user customer base across Europe and beyond.
• Prism Medical: UK/Canada-based manufacturer of ceiling track hoists, mobile lifts, and bath lifts for hospitals, care homes, and accessibility housing. Competes head-to-head with Opemed in the UK domestic and healthcare adaptation market, often on the same OT/housing trust specifications.
• Arjo: Swedish manufacturer of medical devices and patient handling solutions including ceiling lifts, mobile lifts, and bariatric transfer equipment. Arjo is a direct competitor serving hospitals and long-term care facilities, with a much larger global sales and service footprint overlapping Opemed's installed base.
• Joerns Healthcare: US-based manufacturer of patient handling and wound management products including ceiling lifts, stand aids, and slings. Overlaps with Opemed on hospital ceiling hoist installations and care home patient transfer solutions in international markets.
• Handicare (now part of Etac): Manufacturer of patient transfer equipment, ceiling hoists, and mobility aids for home and institutional care. Competes with Opemed across care home, accessibility housing, and hospital ceiling hoist categories across European and global markets.

Emerging players

• Mangar Health: UK-based manufacturer of patient lifting devices including the Mangar Camel and ELK lifting cushions for falls teams and home care. Niche overlap with Opemed in patient transfer solutions but focused on portable/mobile lifting rather than fixed ceiling track systems.

Others

• Astor Bannerman (parent group): Parent group of Opemed, specializing in disability patient handling equipment including assisted baths, wash basins, and showering solutions. Sister brands under the Astor Bannerman umbrella address adjacent product categories that complement Opemed's ceiling hoist focus.
• Changing Places Consortium / Aveso: Campaign and ecosystem entity co-founded by Opemed's Managing Director Nick Kent, promoting mandatorily equipped accessible toilets in public buildings. Adjacent rather than competitive; Aveso is positioned as a catalyst creating demand for Opemed's Changing Places equipment installations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ceiling_hoists
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/OpemedSales
• Facebookfacebook.com/OpeMed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/opemed-europe-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Opemed