A private MRI scan cost £249 to £510 for one body part at the 5 UK providers we checked on 31 October 2026, and the median of their lowest prices was £366. The price moves with how many areas you need, whether contrast dye is used, whether a consultant's report is included and whether you need a referral first. Below are the published prices clinic by clinic, what each includes, and how they compare with the NHS wait and with flying for a scan.
Short answer
A private MRI of one body part costs about £249 to £510 in the UK at the clinics that publish a price, with a median of £366 (our calculation from 5 providers' lowest prices, read 31 October 2026). A second body part adds about £236 to £241 where it is listed, and contrast dye £103 to £125 where it is charged separately.
- One body part
- £249 to £510 (5 providers)
- Median of lowest prices
- £366 (our calculation)
- Contrast dye, if separate
- £103 to £125
- NHS MRI wait, England
- 22.0% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026)
Private MRI scan cost in the UK, clinic by clinic
These are the self-pay prices for one body part that each provider publishes on its own page, cheapest first. They are not like for like: read the last column before you compare.
| Provider | Where | One body part | What the page says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vista Health | UK-wide | £249 to £380 | All-inclusive, with a written report within 3 working days. Contrast £125 extra. |
| Practice Plus Group | England (Practice Plus Group centres) | £350 | Two body parts £588. The page gives a waiting time of 1 to 2 weeks; it lists self-pay and insured as ways to pay. |
| Cobalt Health | Cheltenham | from £366 | Two parts £607, three £859; gadolinium contrast injection £103 extra. Cobalt Health is a registered charity. |
| Parkside (Somerset NHS Foundation Trust private patients) | Somerset | £457 | Includes consultant fees and scanning costs. Two body parts £693, three £998; contrast £105 extra. |
| Spire London East Hospital | Ilford (east London) | £510 | Outpatient hospital charges; MRI prices include contrast when required and reporting fees. Consultant fees are separate, and a GP or consultant referral letter is required. |
GBP, one body part, self-pay. Vista Health's range is £249 for limited fixed scan times, £360 from 7 days and £380 within 7 days. Prices read 31 October 2026.
Average cost of a private MRI scan in the UK
Taking each provider's lowest price for one body part, the median is £366 and the simple average £386. Half the providers charge less than £366, and the spread runs from £249 at Vista Health to £510 at Spire London East Hospital. That is our calculation from 5 published price lists, not an official average: no NHS or government body publishes one for private scans.
The two hospitals on the list charge the most, but say their prices include more: Parkside, the private patient service of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, says its £457 includes consultant fees and scanning costs, and Spire London East says its £510 includes contrast when required and reporting fees.
What changes the price of a private MRI
- More than one body part. Practice Plus Group charges £350 for one part and £588 for two; Cobalt Health £366 for one, £607 for two and £859 for three; Parkside £457, £693 and £998. A second area adds £236 to £241 at these three.
- Contrast dye. Some scans need an injection of gadolinium contrast. Cobalt Health charges £103 and Parkside £105 on top; Vista Health lists contrast at £125 extra; Spire London East includes it when required.
- The report. A scan is only useful with a radiologist's report. Vista Health says its price is all-inclusive, with a written report within 3 working days; Spire includes reporting fees. Ask any other clinic whether the report is in the price.
- Speed. Vista Health charges £380 for a scan within 7 days and £360 from 7 days; its £249 price is for limited fixed times.
- A referral. Spire London East requires a referral letter from a GP or consultant before any diagnostic scan; Vista Health offers a virtual GP referral consultation. At Spire, consultant fees are charged separately.
Private MRI vs the NHS wait
On the NHS in England, 22.0% waiting over 6 weeks at the end of August 2026. Share of people on the NHS MRI waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (357,356 people waiting). For most people the private price is buying a sooner scan, not a different one, so ask your GP how long your NHS scan is likely to take before you pay. More on the NHS MRI waiting time and the month-by-month figures on our NHS waiting list tracker.
Is an MRI abroad cheaper?
Clinics abroad publish lower prices, but a single MRI is cheap enough in the UK that the trip rarely pays. The cheapest published MRI we found is in Poland, about £124 at the clinic; with a rough return flight and hotel it comes to about £404, against £249 for the lowest UK price. It can make sense if you are already travelling. Every country's prices are on MRI scan cost by country. For a whole-body screening scan, which is priced as a package, see full body MRI cost.
Before you book a private MRI
- Name the body partAsk for the price of exactly the area your doctor wants scanned, and whether it counts as one part or two.
- Ask what is includedContrast, the radiologist's report, and how long the report takes.
- Check the referralAsk whether you need a GP or consultant letter, and who will go through the result with you.
- Plan the next stepAsk your GP how they will use a private result, so it does not sit unread.