Taking lung checks on the road: How Philips and Heart of Australia are closing the access gap

This year marks a new milestone in that collaboration with the introduction of HEART 7, the latest mobile health clinic in HoA’s fleet, equipped with Philips’ advanced CT 5300 system. The new truck will play a key role in supporting the National Lung Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP), launched in July 2025, which offers Medicare-funded, low-dose CT screening for eligible Australians aged 50–70 with a significant smoking history [1].

Australians living outside major cities face stark health inequities. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), people in rural and remote areas “on average have shorter lives, higher levels of disease and injury and poorer access to and use of health services” [2] than those in metropolitan regions.

The National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) reports that men in very remote areas die up to 13.6 years earlier, and women up to 12.7 years earlier, than their city-based peers. “Potentially avoidable deaths” are 2.5 times higher for men and 3.7 times higher for women living in these communities [3].

“Access should never determine outcome,” says Ari Wood, Philips’ Head of CT, Growth region. “By combining Heart of Australia’s mobile model with Philips’ imaging innovations, we can ensure that early detection, and the hope it brings, reaches every corner of the country.”

Heart of Australia has now logged more than a million kilometres bringing specialist diagnostics to rural Australians. Each mobile clinic is a self-contained facility equipped for cardiology, respiratory and imaging services. With the upcoming HEART 7 truck, the organisation expands its reach nationwide, covering every state and the Northern Territory.

HoA’s world-first battery- and solar-powered mobile CT platform, developed with Philips for HEART 5, [4] has demonstrated that high-quality imaging can be delivered entirely off-grid, a critical innovation for regions with limited infrastructure or harsh environmental conditions.

The HEART 7 truck will begin its journey in mid-November 2025, timed with the ramp-up of the National Lung Cancer Screening Program.

At the heart of this initiative is the Philips CT 5300, engineered to deliver quality diagnostic performance in a mobile, ruggedised form. Its Precise Image AI-based reconstruction and NanoPanel Precise detector technology enable up to 80 percent lower radiation dose and 85 percent less image noise, optimising low-dose CT (LDCT) [5] lung screening without compromising clarity. Supported by CT Smart Workflow and Precise Position automation, the system streamlines every stage of the examination process, cutting total workflow time by as much as 50 percent and allowing teams to scan more patients on each community visit. Capable to perform in a mobile environment the CT 5300’s predictive maintenance tools, remote diagnostics, and uptime capability of up to 98 percent [6] (depending on service agreement) minimise downtime, a crucial advantage for clinics operating hundreds of kilometres from the nearest service centre.

“When you’re scanning patients on a dirt road hours from the nearest hospital, reliability isn’t optional,” explains Dr. Rolf Gomes, Founder of Heart of Australia. “Philips have developed CT systems that have proven they can withstand Australia’s toughest conditions, without compromising diagnostic quality.”

Lung cancer remains Australia’s leading cause of cancer death, largely because it is often detected late. The NLCSP aims to change that by offering regular, low-dose CT scans to high-risk individuals, an approach proven internationally to reduce mortality through early detection.

For rural Australians, however, screening access has traditionally lagged. Mobile CT clinics such as HoA’s HEART 7 bring the test to where people live and work, dramatically reducing travel time, cost and care disruption.

“This partnership represents a tangible step toward equity in health outcomes,” says Wood. “By making advanced diagnostics mobile, HoA are giving people in regional and remote communities the same chance at early detection as anyone living in a major city.”

As HEART 7 takes to the road, the Philips-HoA partnership continues to demonstrate how technology and purpose can converge to solve one of healthcare’s longest-standing inequities, geography.