Diagnostic imaging · Derby
MRI scans in Derby: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
£470
Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital, Leicester · 25 miles away
Typical price
£498
The middle of 4 published MRI scan prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait
About 5 in 10
on the MRI list at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton had waited under 6 weeks (August 2026).
People already on the list. It can’t tell you your own wait.
Prices near Derby
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Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital
Leicester · 25 miles away
£470MRI 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 Nottingham Hospital
Nottingham · 16 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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Woodthorpe Hospital
Nottingham · 15 miles away
from£500MRI (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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Nuffield Health Derby Hospital
Derby · 2.9 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.
Prices the hospitals publish on their own websites, not quotes. Nobody pays to be listed. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of Derby.
Hospital by hospital
Nuffield Health Derby Hospital, Derby, 2.9 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report July 2026). MRI £589 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £119 above the local lowest.
Woodthorpe Hospital, Nottingham, 15 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report September 2025). MRI from £500 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £30 above the local lowest.
Spire Nottingham Hospital, Nottingham, 16 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Outstanding, report February 2024). MRI £495 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £25 above the local lowest.
Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital, Leicester, 25 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report October 2023). MRI £470 (single guide figure, no breakdown), the lowest locally.
How the prices compare
MRI scans: 4 local prices span £119, from £470 to £589; the UK median across 93 published prices is £545. The nearest, Nuffield Health Derby Hospital, is £119 dearer than the cheapest.
Within 5 miles of central Derby: Nuffield Health Derby Hospital (2.9 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central Derby: Woodthorpe Hospital (15 miles), Spire Nottingham Hospital (16 miles) and Nuffield Health Leicester 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 £470 to £589 at 4 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. University Hospitals of Derby and Burton: about 5 in 10 (46.9%) 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 Derby
| NHS trust | Under 6 weeks | 6 weeks or more | 13 weeks or more | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust | 46.9% | 3,657 | 903 | 6,883 |
| Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 67.1% | 691 | 25 | 2,098 |
| England | 78.0% | 78,471 | 16,345 | 357,356 |
University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, 1.9 miles from Derby: 6,883 people waiting for MRI, 46.9% under six weeks, 903 at 13 weeks or more.
Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 23 miles from Derby: 2,098 people waiting for MRI, 67.1% under six weeks, 25 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 of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Other clinics nearby
The CQC register lists 16 independent scanning centres and hospitals registered with the CQC to do scans and tests within 16 miles: 7 good, 9 not yet rated. 2 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 12 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpaMedica Derby | 1.1 miles | Good | No |
| Nuffield Health Derby Hospital | 2.9 miles | Good | Yes |
| Highfield House | 7.8 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Branston Golf & Country Club - Your Heart Scan | 12 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Community Health and Eyecare Limited (CHEC - Nottingham) | 12 miles | Good | No |
| Optical Express – Nottingham Hospital | 13 miles | Good | No |
| ACES Nottingham Hospital | 13 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Newmedica Community Ophthalmology Service | 13 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Cirrus House | 13 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Optegra Nottingham | 13 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Zenith Cosmetic Clinic | 13 miles | Good | No |
| New Horizons Imaging HQ | 14 miles | Not yet rated | No |
And 4 more within 16 miles on the register.
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Nuffield Health Derby Hospital, Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital and Spire Nottingham Hospital for an itemised quote, as their prices are published as a single figure.
- For MRI scan, weigh Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital (25 miles) against Nuffield Health Derby Hospital (2.9 miles): the £119 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
- Nottingham 13 miles
- Leicester 24 miles
- Stoke-on-Trent 29 miles
- Sheffield 32 miles
- West Bromwich 34 miles
- Coventry 35 miles
- Wolverhampton 36 miles
- Solihull 38 miles
Other treatments near Derby
This page also covers 1 nearby place with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Borrowash.
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 of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Chesterfield Royal 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.