New Mobile X-Ray Service launching across Torbay and South Devon

We are pleased to confirm the launch of the new Mobile X-ray Service from Tuesday 08 September 2026, delivered by Mobile Medical Diagnostics (MMD) in partnership with Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust.

The service will provide mobile x-ray imaging for eligible patients in community settings, supporting timely diagnostics closer to home. It is designed to strengthen our falls, frailty and urgent community response pathways by reducing the need for patients to attend the Emergency Department where this is not clinically necessary.

The service will support patients who have fallen in their usual place of residence, or who require an x-ray to inform clinical decision-making by out-of-hospital teams. Referrals will be coordinated through agreed Trust pathways, including care co-ordination functions, GPs, Urgent Community Response teams, SWAST, NHS 111 and the Harbour Service, in line with agreed inclusion and exclusion criteria.

This new model will help improve patient experience by enabling care to be delivered closer to home, supporting admission avoidance, reducing unnecessary conveyance, and strengthening integrated neighbourhood working across Torbay and South Devon.

The service will be run by trained radiography staff and will operate to a planned schedule across approved community settings, initially the service will operate Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm, with a planned move towards seven-day provision, including bank holidays, subject to agreement and mobilisation progress in the future. The vehicle is equipped with a hospital-grade mobile digital x-ray machine, with appointments coordinated through established booking pathways. 

Please ensure operational teams are familiar with the referral criteria and access arrangements.

Patients may be referred for imaging if they:

• Are aged 65+, or are frail, vulnerable, housebound, or have difficulty attending hospital.
• Can be safely assessed in their usual place of residence and do not require immediate Emergency Department assessment.
• Have a suspected injury following a fall or other incident, particularly where there is concern about occult injury in an older or frail person.
• Patients who can be safely managed outside of emergency pathways.
• Over 18 years of age