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Diagnostic imaging · Chichester

MRI scans in Chichester: what it costs, and the NHS wait

Prices checked 9 Nov 2026

  • Cheapest nearby

    £495

    Spire Portsmouth Hospital, Havant · 8.1 miles away

  • 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 Chichester

  • Spire Portsmouth Hospital

    Havant · 8.1 miles away

    £495MRI 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.

    Health regulator (CQC) rating: Good · checked 9 Nov 2026

  • Nuffield Health Chichester Hospital

    Chichester · 0.6 miles away

    £525MRI 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.

    Health regulator (CQC) rating: Outstanding · checked 9 Nov 2026

Prices the hospitals publish on their own websites, not quotes. Nobody pays to be listed. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of Chichester.

Hospital by hospital

Nuffield Health Chichester Hospital, Chichester, 0.6 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Outstanding, report December 2021). MRI £525 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £30 above the local lowest.

Spire Portsmouth Hospital, Havant, 8.1 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report August 2026). MRI £495 (single guide figure, no breakdown), the lowest locally.

How the prices compare

MRI scans: 2 local prices span £30, from £495 to £525; the UK median across 93 published prices is £545. The nearest, Nuffield Health Chichester Hospital, is £30 dearer than the cheapest.

Within 5 miles of central Chichester: Nuffield Health Chichester Hospital (0.6 miles).

5 to 10 miles of central Chichester: Spire Portsmouth Hospital (8.1 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 £495 to £525 at 2 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 Chichester

NHS MRI waiting list, August 2026
NHS trustUnder 6 weeks6 weeks or more13 weeks or moreOn the list
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust92.5%208562,755
Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust99.8%21859
England78.0%78,47116,345357,356

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, 18 miles from Chichester: 2,755 people waiting for MRI, 92.5% under six weeks, 56 at 13 weeks or more.

Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, 29 miles from Chichester: 859 people waiting for MRI, 99.8% under six weeks, 1 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, Royal Surrey 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 16 miles: 2 outstanding, 5 good, 1 requires improvement, 1 not yet rated. 2 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.

The 9 nearest
Nearest independent scanning centres and hospitals registered with the CQC to do scans and tests, by distance
LocationDistanceRating (CQC)Price shown above?
Nuffield Health Chichester HospitalChichester0.6 milesOutstandingDec 2021Yes
Genesis Care, PortsmouthHavant8.1 milesOutstandingJun 2023No
Spire Portsmouth HospitalHavant8.1 milesGoodAug 2026Yes
Practice Plus Group Surgical Centre PortsmouthPortsmouth13 milesGoodFeb 2025No
CESP (Portsmouth) @ Queen Alexandra HospitalPortsmouth13 milesRequires improvementJun 2018No
SpaMedica PortsmouthPortsmouth14 milesGoodOct 2025No
PremaPortsmouth14 milesGoodSep 2025No
The Pemberley ClinicSouthsea14 milesNot yet ratedNo
Goring Hall HospitalWorthing15 milesGoodMar 2022No

Questions to ask before booking

  • Ask Nuffield Health Chichester Hospital and Spire Portsmouth Hospital for an itemised quote, as their prices are published as a single figure.
  • For MRI scan, weigh Spire Portsmouth Hospital (8.1 miles) against Nuffield Health Chichester Hospital (0.6 miles): the £30 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.

MRI scan guide

Nearby

MRI scans in nearby places

Other treatments near Chichester

This page also covers 2 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Selsey, East Wittering.

Private healthcare in Chichester

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, Royal Surrey 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.

How we check prices · Report a mistake

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.