Diagnostic imaging · Bolton
MRI scans in Bolton: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
£400
Nuffield Health Manchester Diagnostic Suite, Manchester · 12 miles away
Typical price
£525
The middle of 7 published MRI scan prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait
Almost all
on the MRI list at Bolton had waited under 6 weeks (August 2026).
People already on the list. It can’t tell you your own wait.
Prices near Bolton
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Nuffield Health Manchester Diagnostic Suite
Manchester · 12 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 Manchester Hospital
Manchester · 13 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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Buckshaw Hospital
Chorley · 12 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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Fulwood Hall Hospital
Preston · 17 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 · 13 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.
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Spire Liverpool Hospital
Liverpool · 25 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.
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Spire Cheshire Hospital
Warrington · 18 miles away
£585MRI 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 Bolton.
Hospital by hospital
Buckshaw Hospital, Chorley, 12 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, 12 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Outstanding, report March 2026). MRI £400 (single guide figure, no breakdown), the lowest locally.
Spire Manchester Hospital, Manchester, 13 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, 13 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Outstanding, report October 2022). MRI £565 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £165 above the local lowest.
Fulwood Hall Hospital, Preston, 17 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report August 2026). MRI from £525 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £125 above the local lowest.
Spire Cheshire Hospital, Warrington, 18 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Outstanding, report May 2017). MRI £585 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £185 above the local lowest.
Spire Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, 25 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report October 2022). MRI £565 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £165 above the local lowest.
How the prices compare
MRI scans: 7 local prices span £185, from £400 to £585; the UK median across 93 published prices is £545. The nearest, Buckshaw Hospital, is £125 dearer than the cheapest.
10 to 25 miles of central Bolton: Buckshaw Hospital (12 miles), Nuffield Health Manchester Diagnostic Suite (12 miles), Spire Manchester Hospital (13 miles), Spire Manchester Hospital (13 miles), Fulwood Hall Hospital (17 miles), Spire Cheshire Hospital (18 miles) and Spire Liverpool Hospital (25 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 £585 at 7 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. Bolton: almost all (98.6%) 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 Bolton
| NHS trust | Under 6 weeks | 6 weeks or more | 13 weeks or more | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolton NHS Foundation Trust | 98.6% | 11 | 1 | 792 |
| Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 96.5% | 76 | 0 | 2,188 |
| England | 78.0% | 78,471 | 16,345 | 357,356 |
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, 2.4 miles from Bolton: 792 people waiting for MRI, 98.6% under six weeks, 1 at 13 weeks or more.
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 8.3 miles from Bolton: 2,188 people waiting for MRI, 96.5% 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: Bolton NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Other clinics nearby
The CQC register lists 6 independent scanning centres and hospitals registered with the CQC to do scans and tests within 9.3 miles: 5 good, 1 not yet rated. 0 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 6 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpaMedica Limited | 0.7 miles | Good | No |
| The Beaumont Hospital | 2.7 miles | Good | No |
| Manchester Children's Clinic | 7.4 miles | Good | No |
| Manchester Orthopaedic Clinical Services | 7.8 miles | Good | No |
| Oaklands Hospital | 8.1 miles | Good | No |
| CHEC - Trafford Park | 8.9 miles | Not yet rated | 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.
- Ask whether the price includes the radiologist’s report, and how quickly you will get it.
Nearby
MRI scans in nearby places
- Blackburn 11 miles
- Stockport 17 miles
- Liverpool 24 miles
- Huddersfield 27 miles
- Blackpool 28 miles
- Bradford 31 miles
- Chester 33 miles
- Sheffield 43 miles
Other treatments near Bolton
This page also covers 5 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Farnworth, Atherton, Little Hulton, Little Lever, Kearsley.
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: Bolton NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh 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.