Mattress for a hospital bed

1. A patient support for a bed, the patient support comprising:

a deck supported on a frame, the deck having a head end and a foot end, the head end being adjacent a head end of the bed and the foot end being adjacent a foot end of the bed, wherein the deck has a first deck section, a second deck section and a third deck section, the first deck section located adjacent the head end of the bed, the third deck section located adjacent the foot end of the deck and having an edge that is an endmost edge of the deck at the foot end thereof, and the second deck section between the first deck section and the third deck section, wherein the first deck section is moveable from a generally horizontal position to a more vertical back-support position, and wherein the second deck section is pivotable upwards; and,

a mattress supported on the deck, an end portion of the mattress extending a distance beyond a foot end edge of the third deck section a length, L 1 , when the mattress is in a first position, such that the end portion of the mattress is cantilevered and overhangs the foot end edge of the third deck section a distance greater than a thickness of the mattress in the first position, and wherein the mattress retracts to a second position, in the second position a portion of the mattress extending a distance beyond the edge of the foot deck a length L 2 , wherein L 2 , is less than L 1 .

2. The patient support of claim 1 , wherein the mattress has a first end adjacent the head end of the deck.

3. The patient support of claim 1 , wherein the mattress has a compressible mattress portion and a rigid mattress portion.

4. The patient support of claim 3 , wherein the compressible mattress portion extends about a plurality of deck sections, and wherein the rigid mattress portion is positioned adjacent a foot deck section of the deck.

5. The patient support of claim 3 , wherein the rigid mattress portion is fixed to the compressible mattress portion, and wherein the rigid mattress portion is retractable from the first position to a second position to shorten the mattress.

6. The patient support of claim 1 , wherein the mattress is fixed to the deck.

7. The patient support of claim 1 , wherein the third deck section is moveable from a generally horizontal position to a substantially vertical position.

8. A patient support for a bed, the patient support comprising:

a frame;

a deck supported on the frame, the deck having a first deck section, a second deck section and a third deck section, the first deck section located adjacent a head end of the deck, the third deck section located adjacent a foot end of the deck and having an edge that is an endmost edge of the deck at the extreme foot end of the deck, and the second deck section between the first deck section and the third deck section, the deck further having a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the first deck section is moveable from a generally horizontal position to a more vertical back-support position, and wherein the third deck section is moveable from a generally horizontal position to a substantially vertical position; and,

a mattress supported on the deck, the mattress extending to a first position located a distance beyond a distal edge of the third deck a length, L 1 , when the third deck is in the generally horizontal position, the mattress retracting to a second position such that the mattress overhangs the distal edge of the third deck a length, L 2 , when the third deck is in the generally vertical position, length L 1 being greater than length L 2 .

9. The patient support of claim 8 , wherein a length of the third deck is static at all positions.