Mobile PET-CT service concludes after improving access to cancer imaging for thousands of New Zealanders.
5 minute read
Mobile Imaging’s PET-CT service has significantly improved access to advanced cancer imaging across New Zealand, enabling thousands of patients in regional communities to receive diagnostic care closer to home.
In partnership, Mobile Health Group and Allevia Radiology have announced the planned transition of the Mobile Imaging PET-CT service, with operations scheduled to conclude on 18 September 2026. The move comes as permanent PET-CT capacity has been established or expanded across the regions currently served by the mobile unit.
Launched in May 2024, Mobile Imaging was the first mobile PET-CT service in Australasia. Operating on a fortnightly schedule in Palmerston North, Lower Hutt, and Dunedin, the service was developed to provide advanced diagnostic imaging closer to home for patients living outside major metropolitan centres.
Over the past two years, the mobile unit has supported thousands of public and private patients requiring PET-CT scans for cancer diagnosis, staging, and treatment planning, reducing the need for long-distance travel and improving access to timely care.
Mobile Health Group Chief Executive Mark Eager says the service was created to address a longstanding geographical barrier to PET-CT access.
"Many regional New Zealanders have historically needed to travel significant distances to access PET-CT imaging, often involving flights, accommodation, time away from whānau, and additional costs during an already stressful period of their lives."
He adds, "This service enabled regions such as Otago to access PET-CT imaging closer to home, reducing the need for lengthy travel and helping patients receive timely diagnostic care. With fixed-site facilities now operating or nearing completion across the regions we serve, patients will continue to receive PET-CT services closer to home.”
A permanent PET-CT scanner is already operating in Dunedin, serving patients across Otago and Southland. In Palmerston North, a new permanent service is expected to commence shortly, while PET-CT capacity in the Wellington region has been strengthened through fixedsite services.
“It is disappointing that the mobile service has not been able to continue operating in another region. There are still communities, including parts of Taranaki, where patients face significant travel barriers to PET-CT imaging.
“We would have welcomed the opportunity to explore whether the service could continue supporting regions where access challenges remain. Mobile Imaging has made a real difference for patients and their whānau, and we will be sad to see it leave New Zealand,” says Mark.
Mobile Imaging provided diagnostic CT imaging alongside FDG PET-CT, Gallium PSMA PETCT and Gallium-68 Dotatate PET-CT scans. Introduced in March 2025, Gallium-68 Dotatate PET-CT expanded access to specialist imaging for patients with neuroendocrine tumours, who previously had to travel to Auckland or Christchurch for the scan.
Mobile Imaging was delivered through a partnership between Mobile Health Group and Allevia Radiology, working alongside Health New Zealand, host sites, and clinical teams across the country.
Jess Fagan, Operations Manager - Molecular Imaging & Theranostics for Allevia Radiology, says the service demonstrated what can be achieved when providers collaborate to improve access to healthcare.
"We are grateful to everyone who helped make this service possible. It showed what can be achieved when providers, funders, and communities work together with a shared focus on patient outcomes and equitable access to care."
The mobile PET-CT service will continue operating until 18 September 2026. Following its departure from New Zealand, the unit will continue supporting remote and regional communities after being purchased by an Australian healthcare provider.
Mark says that while this chapter is coming to a close, the goal remains the same. “Healthcare should be accessible regardless of where people live. Mobile services play a vital role in reducing barriers to care for regional and rural communities, and we are incredibly proud of the difference this service has made for patients across New Zealand.”
Media Enquiries
Mark Eager Chief Executive, Mobile Health Group [email protected]
Jess Fagan Operations Manager - Molecular Imaging & Theranostics, Allevia Radiology [email protected]
About Mobile Imaging
Mobile Imaging Limited is jointly owned by Mobile Health Group and Allevia Radiology - providing advanced diagnostic imaging services through New Zealand’s first mobile PET-CT service. The mobile service was the first of its kind in Australasia and was established to improve access to PET-CT imaging for people living outside major metropolitan centres. PET-CT scans play a critical role in cancer diagnosis and staging, helping clinicians determine the location and extent of disease and guide treatment planning. By bringing this technology closer to regional communities, Mobile Imaging has helped reduce barriers to care and improve access to vital cancer diagnostics for patients across New Zealand. www.mobileimaging.co.nz
