Export market: United Kingdom
Hospital linen supplier for the UK
International Linens is a hospital linen supplier for the UK and a hotel linen manufacturer in Faisalabad, Pakistan. We already ship institutional linens to the United Kingdom, and we make hospital, care home and hotel linens to UK bed sizes and UK laundry temperatures for healthcare distributors, commercial laundries, care groups and hotel suppliers.
Quick answer: Pakistan has Enhanced Preferences under the UK Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which removes the standard UK import duty on bed linen that meets the scheme’s rules of origin. We make to UK sizes, build linen to survive HTM 01-04 thermal disinfection, and quote FOB Karachi or CIF a UK port.
What we make for UK hospitals, care homes and hotels
- Hospital bed linens: fitted, flat and draw sheets, pillowcases and knitted stretch sheets.
- Care home bed linen, cellular and thermal blankets and bedspreads for residential care.
- Patient gowns and pyjamas and scrubs for NHS suppliers and private hospitals.
- Hotel bedding: percale and sateen sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases.
- Institutional and public sector linens built to tender specifications.
UK bed sizes we produce
UK beds use metric mattress sizes. We cut flat sheets, fitted sheets and duvet covers to these mattresses, or to the dimensions on your specification.
| UK bed | Mattress size (cm) |
|---|---|
| Single | 90 x 190 |
| Small double | 120 x 190 |
| Double | 135 x 190 |
| King | 150 x 200 |
| Super king | 180 x 200 |
| Hospital and care beds | Made to your mattress dimensions and depth |
UK rules a linen buyer should know
These points come up in most UK programs. They are general guidance, so confirm the detail for your products with your compliance adviser.
- Laundry temperatures. HTM 01-04 sets thermal disinfection for health and social care linen at 71°C for at least three minutes or 65°C for at least ten minutes. We specify fabrics, dyes and seams that hold their size and shade through that process.
- Fibre labelling. The Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012 require accurate fibre content on textiles sold in the UK. We sew labels to your artwork.
- Harmful substances. UK REACH restricts certain chemicals in textiles. Our fabrics are OEKO-TEX Standard 100 tested for harmful substances.
- Medical gowns. Gowns sold as medical devices fall under MHRA rules and need UKCA or CE marking. Tell us the intended use before sampling so the right tests are planned.
Duty, shipping and documents
Under the UK Developing Countries Trading Scheme, Pakistan is an Enhanced Preferences country, and most of its exports enter the UK duty-free, including bed linen. To claim the preference, goods must meet the scheme’s rules of origin and travel with the right origin documents, which we prepare with each shipment.
We ship 40-foot high-cube containers from Karachi to UK container ports such as Felixstowe, Southampton and London Gateway, on FOB or CIF terms. Mixed-product containers are possible.
How a first UK order works
- Send your specification or a sample, with sizes, quantities and destination port.
- We quote price, lead time and shipping terms within one working day.
- We send pre-production samples so you can wash-test them in your own laundry.
- Bulk runs in our own weaving, processing and stitching units with in-line and final inspection.
- We ship with the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and origin documents.
Hospital linen supplier for the UK: FAQs
Is bed linen from Pakistan duty-free in the UK?
Pakistan has Enhanced Preferences under the UK Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which removes UK import duty on most of its goods, including bed linen, as long as the goods meet the scheme’s rules of origin. Check the current tariff for your commodity codes with your customs broker.
Can your linens handle HTM 01-04 wash temperatures?
Yes. We specify polycotton and cotton constructions, colour-fast dyes and seam allowances for 71°C or 65°C thermal disinfection, and you can test pre-production samples in your laundry before bulk.
Do you make linen in UK bed sizes?
Yes. We cut to UK metric mattress sizes from single to super king, and to the dimensions of hospital and care beds.
Do you supply NHS trusts directly?
Most NHS linen is bought through approved suppliers, frameworks and laundry contractors. We manufacture for those suppliers and can quote for public sector tenders as a manufacturer.
Send the product, quantity, sizes and destination port and we will reply with price, lead time and shipping options within one working day.