Diagnostic imaging · Blackburn
MRI scans in Blackburn: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
£400
Nuffield Health Manchester Diagnostic Suite, Manchester · 22 miles away
Typical price
£518
The middle of 6 published MRI scan prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait
Almost all
on the MRI list at East Lancashire Hospitals had waited under 6 weeks (August 2026).
People already on the list. It can’t tell you your own wait.
Prices near Blackburn
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Nuffield Health Manchester Diagnostic Suite
Manchester · 22 miles away
£400MRI Scan (1 part)
What’s included: Nuffield’s guide price for one body part. Nuffield says you get a fixed price after your consultation; check with the hospital whether the report is included.
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Spire Fylde Coast Hospital
Blackpool · 23 miles away
£445MRI 1 AREA
What’s included: Spire says its MRI prices include contrast dye when needed and the radiologist’s report. You need a referral letter from a GP or consultant.
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Spire Manchester Hospital
Manchester · 24 miles away
£510MRI 1 AREA
What’s included: Spire says its MRI prices include contrast dye when needed and the radiologist’s report. You need a referral letter from a GP or consultant.
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Fulwood Hall Hospital
Preston · 8.6 miles away
from£525MRI (one part)
What’s included: Ramsay calls this a guide price (a “from” price). Its page doesn’t list what’s included, so check with the hospital.
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Buckshaw Hospital
Chorley · 8.8 miles away
from£525MRI (one part)
What’s included: Ramsay calls this a guide price (a “from” price). Its page doesn’t list what’s included, so check with the hospital.
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Spire Manchester Hospital
Manchester · 24 miles away
£565MRI 1 AREA
What’s included: Spire says its MRI prices include contrast dye when needed and the radiologist’s report. You need a referral letter from a GP or consultant.
Prices the hospitals publish on their own websites, not quotes. Nobody pays to be listed. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of Blackburn.
Hospital by hospital
Fulwood Hall Hospital, Preston, 8.6 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report August 2026). MRI from £525 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £125 above the local lowest.
Buckshaw Hospital, Chorley, 8.8 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report July 2026). MRI from £525 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £125 above the local lowest.
Nuffield Health Manchester Diagnostic Suite, Manchester, 22 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Outstanding, report March 2026). MRI £400 (single guide figure, no breakdown), the lowest locally.
Spire Fylde Coast Hospital, Blackpool, 23 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report October 2026). MRI £445 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £45 above the local lowest.
Spire Manchester Hospital, Manchester, 24 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Outstanding, report October 2022). MRI £510 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £110 above the local lowest.
Spire Manchester Hospital, Manchester, 24 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Outstanding, report October 2022). MRI £565 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £165 above the local lowest.
How the prices compare
MRI scans: 6 local prices span £165, from £400 to £565; the UK median across 93 published prices is £545. The nearest, Fulwood Hall Hospital, is £125 dearer than the cheapest.
5 to 10 miles of central Blackburn: Fulwood Hall Hospital (8.6 miles) and Buckshaw Hospital (8.8 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central Blackburn: Nuffield Health Manchester Diagnostic Suite (22 miles), Spire Fylde Coast Hospital (23 miles), Spire Manchester Hospital (24 miles) and Spire Manchester Hospital (24 miles).
Typical for MRI scan: an outpatient scan.
Tip: count the journeys for the consultation, the procedure and follow-up when weighing a cheaper hospital further away.
Private or NHS?
- Cost. MRI scan £400 to £565 at 6 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. East Lancashire Hospitals: almost all (100.0%) under 6 weeks. England: 78.0%.
Private hospitals usually ask for a referral letter or a consultation first. Not sure which is right for you? Your GP can refer you on the NHS and talk through your options.
The NHS wait near Blackburn
| NHS trust | Under 6 weeks | 6 weeks or more | 13 weeks or more | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust | 100.0% | 0 | 0 | 2,134 |
| Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 96.4% | 48 | 0 | 1,326 |
| England | 78.0% | 78,471 | 16,345 | 357,356 |
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, 1.2 miles from Blackburn: 2,134 people waiting for MRI, 100.0% under six weeks, 0 at 13 weeks or more.
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 9.6 miles from Blackburn: 1,326 people waiting for MRI, 96.4% under six weeks, 0 at 13 weeks or more.
These figures describe people already waiting at the end of the month, not how long a new referral will wait. The NHS standard is that fewer than 1% wait six weeks or more.
Source: NHS England, Monthly Diagnostics Waiting Times and Activity (DM01), August 2026 data, published 8 October 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Month-by-month figures: East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust on Waiting Times UK, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Other clinics nearby
The CQC register lists 9 independent scanning centres and hospitals registered with the CQC to do scans and tests within 9.3 miles: 6 good, 1 requires improvement, 2 not yet rated. 2 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 9 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Beardwood Hospital | 1.3 miles | Good | No |
| Community Health and Eyecare Limited (CHEC - Accrington) | 4.8 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Greater Lancashire Hospital | 7.2 miles | Good | No |
| Insta-Scan | 8.0 miles | Requires improvement | No |
| Fulwood Hall Hospital | 8.6 miles | Good | Yes |
| Buckshaw Hospital | 8.8 miles | Good | Yes |
| Parallel Imaging Solutions Limited | 9.0 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Community Health and Eyecare Limited and Head Office (CHEC - Preston) | 9.1 miles | Good | No |
| RejuvaMed Skin Clinic & Vein Centre Ltd | 9.1 miles | Good | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Buckshaw Hospital, Fulwood Hall Hospital and Nuffield Health Manchester Diagnostic Suite for an itemised quote, as their prices are published as a single figure.
- For MRI scan, weigh Nuffield Health Manchester Diagnostic Suite (22 miles) against Fulwood Hall Hospital (8.6 miles): the £125 saving comes with a longer trip, so ask each how many follow-up visits are included.
- Ask whether the price includes the radiologist’s report, and how quickly you will get it.
Nearby
MRI scans in nearby places
- Bolton 11 miles
- Blackpool 22 miles
- Stockport 27 miles
- Huddersfield 29 miles
- Liverpool 29 miles
- Bradford 30 miles
- Chester 42 miles
- Sheffield 49 miles
Other treatments near Blackburn
Where these figures come from
Prices: from each hospital’s own price page and breakdown on the date shown next to each price. We store the price, what the page says it includes, the link and the date.
Each hospital group describes its prices differently (guide prices, fixed packages or “from” prices), so read what’s included before comparing totals.
Clinic details and ratings: CQC register (HSCA Active Locations, downloaded 9 November 2026), Open Government Licence v3.0. A rating describes the whole location, not one treatment.
Source: NHS England, Monthly Diagnostics Waiting Times and Activity (DM01), August 2026 data, published 8 October 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Month-by-month figures: East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust on Waiting Times UK, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Typical price is the middle (median) of the published prices within 25 miles, shown only when there are at least four.
Independent. We’re not part of the NHS or any hospital, we’re not clinicians, and nothing here is medical advice. Hospitals can’t pay to appear or to change their position.