Diagnostic imaging · Brighton and Hove
MRI scans in Brighton and Hove: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
£490
The Montefiore Hospital, Hove · 2.2 miles away
Typical price
£590
The middle of 4 published MRI scan prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait
About 9 in 10
on the MRI list at University Hospitals Sussex had waited under 6 weeks (August 2026).
People already on the list. It can’t tell you your own wait.
Prices near Brighton and Hove
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The Montefiore Hospital
Hove · 2.2 miles away
£490MRI 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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Nuffield Health Haywards Heath Hospital
Haywards Heath · 12 miles away
£589MRI 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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Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital
Brighton · 1.2 miles away
£590MRI 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 Gatwick Park Hospital
Horley · 23 miles away
£590MRI 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 Brighton and Hove.
Hospital by hospital
Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital, Brighton, 1.2 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report December 2022). MRI £590 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £100 above the local lowest.
The Montefiore Hospital, Hove, 2.2 miles away (Spire Healthcare; not yet rated by CQC). MRI £490 (single guide figure, no breakdown), the lowest locally.
Nuffield Health Haywards Heath Hospital, Haywards Heath, 12 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report March 2017). MRI £589 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £99 above the local lowest.
Spire Gatwick Park Hospital, Horley, 23 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report January 2022). MRI £590 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £100 above the local lowest.
How the prices compare
MRI scans: 4 local prices span £100, from £490 to £590; the UK median across 93 published prices is £545. The nearest, Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital, is £100 dearer than the cheapest.
Within 5 miles of central Brighton and Hove: Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital (1.2 miles) and The Montefiore Hospital (2.2 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central Brighton and Hove: Nuffield Health Haywards Heath Hospital (12 miles) and Spire Gatwick Park Hospital (23 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 £490 to £590 at 4 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. University Hospitals Sussex: about 9 in 10 (92.5%) 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 Brighton and Hove
| NHS trust | Under 6 weeks | 6 weeks or more | 13 weeks or more | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust | 92.5% | 208 | 56 | 2,755 |
| Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust | 73.9% | 674 | 2 | 2,579 |
| England | 78.0% | 78,471 | 16,345 | 357,356 |
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, 11 miles from Brighton and Hove: 2,755 people waiting for MRI, 92.5% under six weeks, 56 at 13 weeks or more.
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, 26 miles from Brighton and Hove: 2,579 people waiting for MRI, 73.9% 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 Sussex NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS 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: 4 good, 3 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 Brighton Hospital | 1.2 miles | Good | Yes |
| Optegra Brighton Eye Clinic | 1.9 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Brighton and Sussex Medical School Clinical Imaging Science Centre | 2.0 miles | Good | No |
| The Montefiore Hospital | 2.2 miles | Good | No |
| Epsom Skin Clinics (Peacehaven) | 6.0 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| The Scanning Room at ShoreRooms | 7.1 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| SpaMedica Brighton | 8.5 miles | Good | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital, Nuffield Health Haywards Heath Hospital and Spire Gatwick Park 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
- Crawley 19 miles
- Chichester 29 miles
- Maidstone 40 miles
- Basingstoke 52 miles
- Reading 56 miles
- Southampton 56 miles
- Watford 57 miles
- Southend-on-Sea 60 miles
Other treatments near Brighton and Hove
This page also covers 2 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Peacehaven, Newhaven.
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 Sussex NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS 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.