Can I Arrange a Home X-ray for My Elderly Parent?

If your elderly parent, relative, or the person you care for needs an X-ray but cannot safely or comfortably travel to a hospital, you can arrange a private home X-ray through Radpid Diagnostics. A HCPC-registered radiographer will visit their home, care home, or nursing home with portable digital X-ray equipment — delivering the same clinical standard as a hospital radiology department, without the journey or the distress.

Yes — You Can Arrange a Home X-ray for a Relative

You do not need to be a medical professional to arrange this service. Families, carers, care home managers, and patients themselves can all initiate a booking.

A home X-ray is appropriate for elderly patients who find travel tiring or overwhelming, housebound patients unable to leave their home due to illness or frailty, people with mobility difficulties or conditions such as severe arthritis, Parkinson's disease, or heart failure, care home and nursing home residents, patients recovering at home following surgery, and patients with dementia for whom a hospital environment would cause significant distress.

Who Is a Home X-ray Suitable For?

The most common examinations we perform at home include chest X-rays (for suspected chest infections, pneumonia, or breathlessness) and hip, wrist, ankle, and knee X-rays (following a fall or for ongoing joint pain).

We also accept referrals from GPs, district nurses, and other IR(ME)R-trained healthcare professionals who wish to request X-ray imaging for a patient who is unable to attend a radiology department.

Care home and nursing home residents are among the patients who benefit most from mobile X-ray services. A hospital transfer — even for a routine X-ray — can be distressing and physically tiring for frail residents, particularly those living with dementia or complex medical needs.

Arranging Imaging for a Care Home Resident

Radpid Diagnostics works regularly with care homes across London, Kent, Surrey, and the wider South East. We attend at a time that suits the home's routine, perform the examination at the bedside or in a suitable room, and deliver the consultant radiologist report directly to the care home team, the resident's GP, or both.

Care home managers and nursing staff can arrange a booking directly — a GP referral is not required, although we welcome GP and nurse referrals and will liaise with the clinical team as needed.

If your relative has had a recent fall and you are concerned about a possible fracture, a home X-ray can provide a rapid answer without the need for an A&E attendance. For elderly patients, an A&E wait can be lengthy, exhausting, and carries a risk of hospital-acquired infection.

After a Fall or Suspected Injury

If a fracture is identified, the consultant radiologist report will clearly state the finding and its clinical significance, enabling the GP or attending clinician to arrange appropriate follow-up — whether that is a referral to an orthopaedic team, a cast, or conservative management at home. For urgent presentations where immediate hospital assessment may be required, we will always advise you accordingly.

Patients recently discharged from hospital following surgery often require follow-up imaging — for example, a chest X-ray to check for post-operative complications, or a limb X-ray to assess fracture healing. Attending a hospital outpatient department can be difficult in the early weeks after surgery, particularly for patients with limited mobility.

Radpid Diagnostics can arrange post-operative home X-ray examinations at short notice. The report is sent directly to the referring surgeon, GP, or clinical team, supporting continuity of care without the patient needing to travel.

Post-Operative Imaging at Home

No GP referral is required to book a home X-ray with Radpid Diagnostics. You can arrange the examination directly through our online booking system or by calling 01322 914330. Under IR(ME)R 2017 regulations, all self-referrals are reviewed and clinically authorised by a Radpid Diagnostics clinician before the examination proceeds — a straightforward step completed as part of the booking process.

GP, consultant, district nurse, and other IR(ME)R-trained referrals are also welcomed. Reports are returned to the referring clinician, typically on the same day as the examination.

For adult patients who have mental capacity, consent is obtained directly from the patient before the examination begins. For patients who lack mental capacity — for example, due to advanced dementia — the examination can proceed if it is in the patient's best interests, in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Please let us know at the time of booking so the radiographer can be prepared and the process handled sensitively.

Do You Need a GP Referral?

Radpid Diagnostics charges a fixed fee covering the radiographer visit, the examination, and the written consultant radiologist report — there are no hidden charges. Home X-ray within 20 miles of DA2 is priced from £349. Our 50-mile extended zone — including Central London, Surrey, Kent, Essex, Sussex, and Hertfordshire — starts from £439.

Payment is taken securely online at the time of booking via Stripe. We accept all major credit and debit cards. If you are arranging a booking on behalf of a relative, you can pay using your own card.

If you have any questions about pricing before you book, please call us on 01322 914330 and our team will be happy to help.

Consent — Who Can Authorise the Examination?

All reports are consultant radiologist-led and issued on the same day. Images are reviewed by experienced reporting radiographers under the direct clinical leadership of a consultant radiologist, with a formal written report delivered electronically — typically within a few hours of the radiographer's visit.

The report is sent to the referring clinician and, where requested, a copy can be provided to the family or patient directly. Urgent findings are communicated immediately by telephone in addition to the written report.

Booking is straightforward — online at radpidiagnostics.com or by calling 01322 914330. Same-day and next-day appointments are available across our coverage area. We are happy to speak with family members, carers, care home staff, or GPs — whoever is making the arrangement.