The Sickbay is charged with the task of providing all the health-care services required by the ship's crew and their families. This is no small feat, both because of the astonishing number of ports-of-call and because her shipboard population consists of beings representing a wide variety of humanoid species. Because tours of duty in deep space tend to be both lengthy and hazardous, Sickbay's staff and resources--not to mention the ship's chief medical officer--are frequently tested to their limits. Sickbay must stand ready at all times to treat an ever-changing array of injuries and diseases.

The Sickbay has reached an unparalleled state of technological refinement and sophistication. A Sickbay is divided into two primary facilities. The main facility consists of the chief medical officer's office, two medical intensive-care wards, a laboratory, and a nursery. The second facility is equipped with a pair of dedicated surgery suites, a physical therapy unit, medical officer's offices and a microgravity surgery and therapy ward. A dental ward and a biohazard isolation unit are adjacent to the second half of Sickbay.

Because the Sickbay aboard a starship serves a large and diverse ship's population, there are several staff physicians on duty at all times, accompanied by nearly twice as many medical technicians and registered nurses. In emergencies, cross-trained personnel from other departments can be pressed into medical service. In medical emergencies, all shuttlebays can be converted into medium and intensive-care Sickbay facilities, and overflow patients can be accommodated by converting guest quarters.

The single technological element most commonly associated with Sickbay is the biobed sensor and support unit, a monitoring system which displays a patient's vital signs and allows for the efficient administration of fluids and drugs. Another equally important device is the surgical support frame (sometimes called a 'clamshell'), which maintains the sterile environment necessary for performing invasive medical procedures, and gives the surgeon an array of other vital diagnostic tools.

The Sickbay is usually the best-protected part of any Federation starship. It functions as an infirmary, diagnostic center and medical dispensary.

The Sickbay biobeds employ low-level force-fields designed to keep harmful microorganisms from entering or leaving the biobed area.

At least one treatment room and one shuttlebay aboard the USS Caduceus can be converted to Class H, K or L atmospheric and environmental conditions to accommodate non-humanoid patients in the event of planetary or ship evacuation.