Diagnostic imaging · Blackpool
MRI scans in Blackpool: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
£445
Spire Fylde Coast Hospital, Blackpool · 2.1 miles away
NHS wait
About 8 in 10
on the MRI list at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals had waited under 6 weeks (August 2026).
People already on the list. It can’t tell you your own wait.
Prices near Blackpool
Sort by
-
Spire Fylde Coast Hospital
Blackpool · 2.1 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.
-
Fulwood Hall Hospital
Preston · 14 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.
-
Buckshaw Hospital
Chorley · 16 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.
Prices the hospitals publish on their own websites, not quotes. Nobody pays to be listed. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of Blackpool.
Hospital by hospital
Spire Fylde Coast Hospital, Blackpool, 2.1 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report October 2026). MRI £445 (single guide figure, no breakdown), the lowest locally.
Fulwood Hall Hospital, Preston, 14 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report August 2026). MRI from £525 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £80 above the local lowest.
Buckshaw Hospital, Chorley, 16 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report July 2026). MRI from £525 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £80 above the local lowest.
How the prices compare
MRI scans: 3 local prices span £80, from £445 to £525; the UK median across 93 published prices is £545.
Within 5 miles of central Blackpool: Spire Fylde Coast Hospital (2.1 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central Blackpool: Fulwood Hall Hospital (14 miles) and Buckshaw Hospital (16 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 £445 to £525 at 3 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. Blackpool Teaching Hospitals: about 8 in 10 (76.7%) 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 Blackpool
| NHS trust | Under 6 weeks | 6 weeks or more | 13 weeks or more | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 76.7% | 416 | 276 | 1,788 |
| Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 96.4% | 48 | 0 | 1,326 |
| England | 78.0% | 78,471 | 16,345 | 357,356 |
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 1.7 miles from Blackpool: 1,788 people waiting for MRI, 76.7% under six weeks, 276 at 13 weeks or more.
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 13 miles from Blackpool: 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: Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Other clinics nearby
The CQC register lists 10 independent scanning centres and hospitals registered with the CQC to do scans and tests within 16 miles: 1 outstanding, 8 good, 1 not yet rated. 2 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 10 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpaMedica Blackpool | 1.3 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Community Health and Eyecare Limited (CHEC - Blackpool) | 1.6 miles | Good | No |
| Spire Fylde Coast Hospital | 2.1 miles | Good | Yes |
| iSight Limited | 11 miles | Good | No |
| SpaMedica Preston | 12 miles | Outstanding | No |
| First Trust Hospital | 12 miles | Good | No |
| Community Health and Eyecare Limited and Head Office (CHEC - Preston) | 13 miles | Good | No |
| Fulwood Hall Hospital | 14 miles | Good | Yes |
| Renacres Hospital | 14 miles | Good | No |
| Greater Lancashire Hospital | 15 miles | Good | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Buckshaw Hospital, Fulwood Hall Hospital and Spire Fylde Coast Hospital for an itemised quote, as their prices are published as a single figure.
- Ask whether the price includes the radiologist’s report, and how quickly you will get it.
Nearby
MRI scans in nearby places
- Blackburn 22 miles
- Liverpool 27 miles
- Bolton 28 miles
- Chester 42 miles
- Stockport 44 miles
- Bradford 51 miles
- Huddersfield 51 miles
- Stoke-on-Trent 66 miles
Other treatments near Blackpool
This page also covers 4 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Lytham St Anne's, Thornton, Poulton-le-Fylde, Kirkham.
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: Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation 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.