Diagnostic imaging · Bournemouth
MRI scans in Bournemouth: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
£350
Practice Plus Group Hospital, Southampton, Southampton · 24 miles away
Typical price
£552
The middle of 4 published MRI scan prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait
Almost all
on the MRI list at University Hospitals Dorset had waited under 6 weeks (August 2026).
People already on the list. It can’t tell you your own wait.
Prices near Bournemouth
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Practice Plus Group Hospital, Southampton
Southampton · 24 miles away
£350MRI scan – one body part
What’s included: A fixed treatment price. The first consultation costs £145 on top; Practice Plus says that includes a nurse assessment, any blood tests and swabs needed, and an X-ray if required.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Practice Plus Group Hospital, Southampton Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Not included £145 (charged separately) -
Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital
Bournemouth · 0.8 miles away
£495MRI 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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New Hall Hospital
Salisbury · 21 miles away
from£609MRI (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 Southampton Hospital
Southampton · 23 miles away
£655MRI 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 Bournemouth.
Hospital by hospital
Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital, Bournemouth, 0.8 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report June 2022). MRI £495 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £145 above the local lowest.
New Hall Hospital, Salisbury, 21 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report February 2025). MRI from £609 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £259 above the local lowest.
Spire Southampton Hospital, Southampton, 23 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report July 2025). MRI £655 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £305 above the local lowest.
Practice Plus Group Hospital, Southampton, Southampton, 24 miles away (Practice Plus Group; CQC Good, report June 2017). MRI £350, the lowest locally.
How the prices compare
MRI scans: 4 local prices span £305, from £350 to £655; the UK median across 93 published prices is £545. The nearest, Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital, is £145 dearer than the cheapest.
Within 5 miles of central Bournemouth: Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital (0.8 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central Bournemouth: New Hall Hospital (21 miles), Spire Southampton Hospital (23 miles) and Practice Plus Group Hospital, Southampton (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 £350 to £655 at 4 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. University Hospitals Dorset: almost all (97.7%) 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 Bournemouth
| NHS trust | Under 6 weeks | 6 weeks or more | 13 weeks or more | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust | 97.7% | 63 | 24 | 2,736 |
| Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 97.4% | 16 | 2 | 609 |
| England | 78.0% | 78,471 | 16,345 | 357,356 |
University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, 4.5 miles from Bournemouth: 2,736 people waiting for MRI, 97.7% under six weeks, 24 at 13 weeks or more.
Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 25 miles from Bournemouth: 609 people waiting for MRI, 97.4% under six weeks, 2 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: University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Other clinics nearby
The CQC register lists 7 independent scanning centres and hospitals registered with the CQC to do scans and tests within 9.3 miles: 6 good, 1 not yet rated. 1 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 7 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital | 0.8 miles | Good | Yes |
| The Shores – Dorset SARC | 1.2 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Dorset Heart Clinic | 2.4 miles | Good | No |
| Wentworth Clinic | 2.7 miles | Good | No |
| The Harbour Hospital | 4.6 miles | Good | No |
| SpaMedica Poole | 5.2 miles | Good | No |
| Victoria Hospital | 6.8 miles | Good | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask New Hall Hospital, Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital and Spire Southampton Hospital for an itemised quote, as their prices are published as a single figure.
- For MRI scan, weigh Practice Plus Group Hospital, Southampton (24 miles) against Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital (0.8 miles): the £145 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
- Southampton 25 miles
- Chichester 48 miles
- Basingstoke 49 miles
- Kingswood and Fishponds 58 miles
- Reading 63 miles
- Oxford 75 miles
- Brighton and Hove 78 miles
- Crawley 78 miles
Other treatments near Bournemouth
This page also covers 10 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Christchurch, Wimborne Minster, Verwood, Ferndown, Ringwood, New Milton, West Moors, Swanage, Ashley Heath, Barton on Sea.
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: University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Dorset County Hospital 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.