UK · CT scan
NHS CT scan waiting time vs paying privately or going abroad
Prices checked 27 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
The NHS does CT scans when a GP or specialist refers you, at no charge; the radiologist writes to the doctor who referred you.
Share of people on the NHS CT waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (181,619 waiting; median wait 1.9 weeks, the shortest of the 15 tests): 11.2% waiting over 6 weeks (England, August 2026). Published prices abroad start at £68 in Hungary, before travel.
- Official wait
- 11.2% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026)
- Pay at home
- Not verified
- Abroad, before travel
- about £68 to £314 in 3 countries
- Paid by the NHS?
- Yes
How soon hospitals abroad say they can see you
The NHS pays for a CT scan, so the question is time. These are each hospital's own words; ask for a date in writing before you book flights.
- Wáberer Medical Center (Budapest) (Hungary, booking): “We can make appointments for diagnostic imaging tests within 24 hours.”
The official waiting figure
- 11.2% waiting over 6 weeks — Share of people on the NHS CT waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (181,619 waiting; median wait 1.9 weeks, the shortest of the 15 tests). England, August 2026. NHS England.
NHS waiting figures here are for England, from NHS England's monthly statistics (diagnostic waits, referral to treatment). Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland publish their own.
Paying privately in the UK
We have not yet verified a published self-pay price.
Published prices abroad, in GBP
Converted at the European Central Bank rate and rounded; before travel and time off work.
| Country | Price range | Difference vs lowest home price |
|---|---|---|
| CT scan in Hungary | about £68 to £114 | — |
| CT scan in China | about £202 to £314 | — |
| CT scan in Japan | about £262 | — |
Compare with your wait and price at home
See whether the trip, with a rough travel estimate, still costs less than paying in the UK.
When not to travel
- Emergencies such as chest pain, a suspected stroke or a serious injury. Go to an emergency department.
- Pregnancy, unless a doctor has decided the scan is needed.
- Scans no doctor has asked for: repeated CT adds radiation and finds harmless things that then need follow-up.
Next steps
CT scan from the UK: questions
How long is the NHS wait for CT scans?
11.2% waiting over 6 weeks (England, August 2026). Share of people on the NHS CT waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (181,619 waiting; median wait 1.9 weeks, the shortest of the 15 tests).
How much does a private CT scan cost in the UK?
We have not verified a published price yet.
Where abroad is a CT scan cheapest from the UK?
Before travel: Hungary about £68 to £114, China about £202 to £314 and Japan about £262. Add travel, roughly a return flight and a hotel, to compare the whole trip.
Do I need a referral for a CT scan abroad?
Clinics differ, but a referral or a letter from your own doctor makes the result far more useful: it says what question the CT scan should answer, and it means someone at home will act on it.
Sources
- Monthly Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity, August 2026. NHS England, 8 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times statistical press notice, August 2026. NHS England, 8 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- CT scan. NHS (nhs.uk), 8 November 2023. Read 27 October 2026.
- Accreditation. Wáberer Medical Center (Budapest). Read 27 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.