Imaging referrals in NZ: who can request your scan?

Who can request a diagnostic scan?

A referral tells the imaging service what needs investigating. Your healthcare provider requests the test; the service then uses that request to arrange the examination. If you do not already have a referrer, your general practice is a sensible first contact for a non-emergency problem.

For MRI, you need a healthcare provider’s referral. For community X-ray, CT and diagnostic ultrasound, the programme accepts requests from GPs, urgent-care doctors and nurse practitioners, as shown below.

Referral routes reviewed September 2026.

Can I book an appointment myself?

Having a referral and making the appointment are separate steps. Public services usually send appointment details by letter or phone. If you are contacting a private service, have the referral available and follow its booking process. Ask the service whether it has accepted the referral and how payment will work.

How does funding change the referral?

The community programme provides free imaging for accepted requests that meet its national criteria. Some CT criteria require specialist or radiologist advice as part of the request. Ask your practice whether its local community pathway is operating and which criterion applies to the requested scan.

For ACC MRI, the GP or nurse practitioner must have ACC authorisation, and the knee, lumbar spine or cervical spine injury must meet the pathway conditions. This is a defined injury route.

Read the MRI or CT cost guide for the payment rules and a quote request.

Referral and appointment steps: Health NZ scan information.

How do I find the right clinic?

For a private service, open the MRI clinic finder or CT clinic finder. Each clinic page provides contact details. Find a clinic helps compare locations.

What if I have not heard back?

Contact your referring healthcare provider or hospital doctor if appointment details do not arrive. Ask them to check two things:

1. Has the receiving service received the referral?
2. Does it need any more information before it can arrange an appointment?

The first question checks that the request arrived. The second identifies something your referrer can help resolve. Use the stalled-appointment guide for further follow-up steps.

Sources and review

Reviewed 6 September 2026 against the ACC service schedule, Health NZ appointment information, MRI referral information, community radiology, ACC high-tech imaging guidance, ACC payment guidance, emergency help. These documents identify the eligible referrers and funding routes. The receiving service can confirm receipt and acceptance of your particular request.

This article is general information, not personal medical advice. Ask your referrer which service is available, and ask the clinic whether public funding or ACC cover applies and what you will need to pay.

Last updated September 2026

Author: Dr. Mark Bekhit

Dr Mark Bekhit (MBChB, FRANZCR) is a musculoskeletal radiologist practising in Brisbane and an AHPRA-registered specialist in diagnostic radiology (MED0002920947). He spends as much time building software as reading scans: he founded Imaging Finder (Australia) and Radiology Clinics NZ to make imaging easier to find, and builds radiology dictation and pain-tracking tools with one aim — better patient outcomes and a smoother reporting workflow. Outside the reading room he's usually training, bringing the same performance mindset to imaging.