Diagnostic imaging · Colchester
MRI scans in Colchester: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
£495
Spire Wellesley Hospital, Southend-on-Sea · 25 miles away
Typical price
£599
The middle of 4 published MRI scan prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait
About 7 in 10
on the MRI list at East Suffolk and North Essex had waited under 6 weeks (August 2026).
People already on the list. It can’t tell you your own wait.
Prices near Colchester
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Spire Wellesley Hospital
Southend-on-Sea · 25 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.
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Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital
Ipswich · 18 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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Oaks Hospital
Colchester · 1.1 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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Springfield Hospital
Chelmsford · 20 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.
Prices the hospitals publish on their own websites, not quotes. Nobody pays to be listed. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of Colchester.
Hospital by hospital
Oaks Hospital, Colchester, 1.1 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report March 2017). MRI from £609 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £114 above the local lowest.
Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital, Ipswich, 18 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report November 2016). MRI £589 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £94 above the local lowest.
Springfield Hospital, Chelmsford, 20 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report August 2026). MRI from £609 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £114 above the local lowest.
Spire Wellesley Hospital, Southend-on-Sea, 25 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report October 2026). MRI £495 (single guide figure, no breakdown), the lowest locally.
How the prices compare
MRI scans: 4 local prices span £114, from £495 to £609; the UK median across 93 published prices is £545. The nearest, Oaks Hospital, is £114 dearer than the cheapest.
Within 5 miles of central Colchester: Oaks Hospital (1.1 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central Colchester: Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital (18 miles), Springfield Hospital (20 miles) and Spire Wellesley 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 £495 to £609 at 4 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. East Suffolk and North Essex: about 7 in 10 (68.4%) 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 Colchester
| NHS trust | Under 6 weeks | 6 weeks or more | 13 weeks or more | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust | 68.4% | 1,258 | 61 | 3,980 |
| Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust | 68.9% | 2,450 | 62 | 7,872 |
| England | 78.0% | 78,471 | 16,345 | 357,356 |
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, 1.2 miles from Colchester: 3,980 people waiting for MRI, 68.4% under six weeks, 61 at 13 weeks or more.
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, 25 miles from Colchester: 7,872 people waiting for MRI, 68.9% under six weeks, 62 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: East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Mid and South Essex 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 22 miles: 5 good, 5 not yet rated. 3 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 10 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oaks Hospital | 1.1 miles | Good | Yes |
| Turner Diagnostic Centre | 1.2 miles | Good | No |
| SpaMedica Colchester | 2.3 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital | 18 miles | Good | Yes |
| Springfield Hospital | 20 miles | Good | Yes |
| Phoenix Hospital Chelmsford | 21 miles | Good | No |
| ACES Chelmsford Hospital | 21 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| The Surgical Consortium Ltd | 21 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| MDCG Office | 21 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| SpaMedica Chelmsford | 22 miles | Not yet rated | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital, Oaks Hospital and Spire Wellesley Hospital for an itemised quote, as their prices are published as a single figure.
- For MRI scan, weigh Spire Wellesley Hospital (25 miles) against Oaks Hospital (1.1 miles): the £114 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
- Ipswich 15 miles
- Southend-on-Sea 25 miles
- Cambridge 39 miles
- Maidstone 46 miles
- Norwich 54 miles
- Luton 57 miles
- Watford 59 miles
- Peterborough 68 miles
Other treatments near Colchester
This page also covers 2 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Berechurch, Wivenhoe.
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: East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Mid and South Essex 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.