Abstract: A lifting column comprising a number of telescopic members and a drive unit for extension of the members located internally herein. The column is intended for hospital and care beds of the art comprising a column at each end in its longitudinal centre plane and connected to the lower frame (1) and the upper frame (2) respectively so that the height of the upper frame can be adjusted by activating the drive unit of the lifting columns. This drive unit is a scissor mechanism constructed as a separate unit with two identical interconnected scissors (6, 7) located between a bottom and top element (8, 9) and by the longitudinal edges of these plates. A linear actuator (18) is, with its one end, secured to one of the bottom and top element and the other end secured to an interconnection element (16) between the two scissors. The scissor mechanism hereby becomes particularly rigid and the telescopic members can thus be constructed as a simple enclosure without stability.