A hip X-ray takes pictures of the bones of your hip joint and pelvis in a few minutes. Here is what it is used for, when a GP visit should come first, and how to compare private clinics on FindScan.
Search X-ray providers near youA hip X-ray uses a small dose of ionising radiation to take pictures of the bones of the hip joint and the surrounding pelvis. The NHS lists checking bones for a fracture after an accident among the main uses of X-rays, and a clinician may also ask for one when hip pain has gone on for a while and they want to look at the bone.
If you are considering a private hip X-ray, this page explains what the test involves, when the NHS suggests seeing a GP first, why every X-ray needs a referral under UK law, and how FindScan lets you compare clinics and send an enquiry. FindScan is a directory and enquiry service. We do not carry out scans and we do not give medical advice.
A standard X-ray is mainly used to look at bones. On a hip X-ray, the clinician is looking at the top of the thigh bone (the femur), the hip socket and the pelvis around it. Depending on the question your referrer is asking, one or both hips may be imaged and more than one view may be taken.
A standard X-ray is not the usual test for looking closely at soft tissues such as tendons, ligaments and cartilage. If your clinician is mainly interested in those structures, they may suggest a different test such as MRI, which does not use ionising radiation. Our hip MRI scan page explains that option and how it differs.
Hip pain has many possible causes. The NHS lists hip fracture, sprains and strains, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, joint infection and bursitis among them. Some of these, such as a suspected fracture after a fall, are emergencies and need A&E rather than a private appointment.
If you are wondering about osteoarthritis, the NHS says it most often causes problems in the knees, hips and small joints of the hands, and that its main symptoms are joint pain and stiffness and problems moving the joint.
Importantly, the NHS says that further tests such as X-rays or blood tests are not usually necessary to diagnose osteoarthritis, but may be used to rule out other possible causes, such as rheumatoid arthritis or a fractured bone. A GP may suspect osteoarthritis if you are aged 45 or older, your joint pain gets worse the more you use the joint, and any morning stiffness is absent or lasts less than 30 minutes. That is why a hip X-ray is not always the first step.
For most hip pain, the NHS suggests starting with self-care and seeing a GP if it does not settle. A GP can examine you and decide whether imaging would change what happens next. According to the NHS, see a GP if:
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you have severe hip pain that started suddenly without a fall or injury, your hip is swollen and feels hot, the skin around your hip has changed colour, or you have hip pain, feel generally unwell and have a high temperature.
Call 999 or go to A&E if you have severe hip pain after a fall or injury, you are unable to walk or put weight on your leg, or you have any tingling or loss of feeling in your hip or leg after an injury. A private X-ray clinic is not the right place for these situations.
Yes. An X-ray uses ionising radiation, so it is covered by the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017, known as IR(ME)R. Under these rules every exposure must be requested by a referrer and justified by a practitioner as showing a sufficient net benefit before it can go ahead.
That does not always mean a letter from your GP. Private clinics often arrange the referral through their own doctor or a clinical review of your symptoms, and each clinic sets its own process. Ask about this when you send your enquiry. Our guide to how referrals for private X-rays work explains the options in more detail.
There is usually little preparation. The NHS says you may be asked not to wear anything containing metal, such as jewellery, clothes with zips or poppers, or hair clips, so you may be given a gown to change into. Tell the staff beforehand if you are or might be pregnant, are breastfeeding, or have any allergies.
A radiographer will position you and the machine, then ask you to keep very still for a few seconds while one or more X-rays are taken. Staff usually step out of the room briefly while each picture is taken. The X-ray itself typically takes a few minutes, so most of your visit is checking in and changing. Our guide on how to prepare for your scan has more general tips.
Your images will be reported by an appropriately qualified clinician. The clinic will tell you how long its report takes and how you will receive it. Ask who the report will be sent to, and make sure someone, such as the referring doctor or your GP, can talk you through what it means and what happens next.
A hip X-ray answers a specific question about the bone. It is not a general health check. Our guide to scan results explains how reporting usually works.
UKHSA patient dose guidance gives a typical effective dose of 0.3 mSv for a hip X-ray, which it compares to about 7 weeks of natural background radiation. UKHSA puts the UK average natural background dose at 2.1 mSv a year. An X-ray of the whole pelvis is listed at 0.7 mSv, or about 4 months of background radiation.
The NHS says serious complications from X-rays are rare, but that if you have lots of X-rays there is a very small risk that the radiation could cause cancer. That is why each exposure has to be justified. Always tell the clinic if you are or might be pregnant. Our X-ray radiation safety guide puts these figures in context.
Prices vary by clinic. Things that can make a difference include whether one or both hips are imaged, how many views are needed, how the clinic handles the referral, how the report is provided and where in the UK the clinic is. FindScan shows each clinic's own listed price, as set by the clinic, without mark-up. Our guide to private X-ray costs explains the main factors.
See X-ray clinics near you, compare locations and listed prices, and check what each clinic says about referrals and reporting. When you find one that suits you, send an enquiry. FindScan passes your details to the clinic you chose, and the clinic contacts you directly to arrange the referral, appointment and payment. FindScan does not take bookings or payments.
You may not need to see your GP first, but you cannot have an X-ray without a referral. Under IR(ME)R every X-ray must be requested by a referrer and justified. Private clinics often arrange this through their own doctor or a clinical review. Ask the clinic how its process works when you enquire.
A clinician may use an X-ray when assessing hip pain, but the NHS says X-rays are not usually needed to diagnose osteoarthritis. They may be used to rule out other causes, such as rheumatoid arthritis or a fractured bone. A GP can often reach a diagnosis from your symptoms and an examination.
It depends on the question your clinician is trying to answer. An X-ray is mainly used to look at bone and uses a small dose of ionising radiation. MRI does not use ionising radiation and may be suggested when soft tissue is the main concern. Your referrer will advise which, if either, is appropriate. See our hip MRI scan page.
The X-ray itself typically takes a few minutes. You will be asked to keep very still for a few seconds while each picture is taken. Allow extra time for checking in and changing.
UKHSA gives a typical effective dose of 0.3 mSv for a hip X-ray, which it compares to about 7 weeks of natural background radiation in the UK.
No. The NHS advises calling 999 or going to A&E if you have severe hip pain after a fall or injury, cannot walk or put weight on your leg, or have tingling or loss of feeling in your hip or leg after an injury.
FindScan is a directory and enquiry service, not a healthcare provider, and nothing here is medical advice. Speak to a GP or another clinician about your symptoms.