Mobile Aged Care X-Ray (MACX) Service

Mobile Aged Care X-Ray (MACX)

The Mobile Aged Care X-ray (MACX) service operates on the Central Coast and offers onsite, non-urgent diagnostic imaging for residents of aged care facilities.

The service is intended to reduce the need for frail, elderly or disabled patients to be transferred by ambulance to emergency departments, or offsite to private radiology facilities, for selected non-urgent x-ray examinations.

The service is staffed by Gosford Hospital Medical Imaging Department and operates Monday to Friday between 8:30am and 5:00pm. In 2020-21 the mobile service visited approximately 50 aged care facilities and performed over 1000 examinations.

Typical examinations include post-injury x-rays for confirmation/exclusion of fractures, or where there is a suspicion of medical illness (such as pneumonia or exacerbation of chronic illness). Body regions eligible to be x-rayed include chest, upper and lower limbs, abdomen, pelvic girdle, spine, the thoracic cage and facial bones.

Referrals to the service are required and accepted for residents of all accessible aged care facilities on the Central Coast. Examinations are triaged and aim to be performed within 48 hours of referral. Diagnostic reports are available electronically by the referring GP within 24 hours of the examination being performed.

For more information on the Mobile Aged Care X-Ray service please contact