Diagnostic imaging · Leicester
MRI scans in Leicester: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
£450
Spire Leicester Hospital, Oadby · 2.7 miles away
Typical price
£500
The middle of 7 published MRI scan prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait
About 9 in 10
on the MRI list at University Hospitals of Leicester had waited under 6 weeks (August 2026).
People already on the list. It can’t tell you your own wait.
Prices near Leicester
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Spire Leicester Hospital
Oadby · 2.7 miles away
£450MRI 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 Leicester Hospital
Leicester · 3.0 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 · 19 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 · 25 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 · 24 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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Woodland Hospital
Kettering · 22 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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Glendon Wood Hospital
Kettering · 22 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 Leicester.
Hospital by hospital
Spire Leicester Hospital, Oadby, 2.7 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report February 2016). MRI £450 (single guide figure, no breakdown), the lowest locally.
Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital, Leicester, 3.0 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report October 2023). MRI £470 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £20 above the local lowest.
Spire Nottingham Hospital, Nottingham, 19 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Outstanding, report February 2024). MRI £495 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £45 above the local lowest.
Woodland Hospital, Kettering, 22 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report January 2019). MRI from £609 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £159 above the local lowest.
Glendon Wood Hospital, Kettering, 22 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; not yet rated by CQC). MRI from £609 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £159 above the local lowest.
Nuffield Health Derby Hospital, Derby, 24 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report July 2026). MRI £589 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £139 above the local lowest.
Woodthorpe Hospital, Nottingham, 25 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report September 2025). MRI from £500 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £50 above the local lowest.
How the prices compare
MRI scans: 7 local prices span £159, from £450 to £609; the UK median across 93 published prices is £545.
Within 5 miles of central Leicester: Spire Leicester Hospital (2.7 miles) and Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital (3.0 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central Leicester: Spire Nottingham Hospital (19 miles), Woodland Hospital (22 miles), Glendon Wood Hospital (22 miles), Nuffield Health Derby Hospital (24 miles) and Woodthorpe 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 £450 to £609 at 7 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. University Hospitals of Leicester: about 9 in 10 (90.2%) 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 Leicester
| NHS trust | Under 6 weeks | 6 weeks or more | 13 weeks or more | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust | 90.2% | 615 | 150 | 6,257 |
| England | 78.0% | 78,471 | 16,345 | 357,356 |
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, 0.4 miles from Leicester: 6,257 people waiting for MRI, 90.2% under six weeks, 150 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 Leicester NHS Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Other clinics nearby
The CQC register lists 8 independent scanning centres and hospitals registered with the CQC to do scans and tests within 9.3 miles: 6 good, 2 not yet rated. 2 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 8 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everlight Radiology Limited (Leicester) | 0.6 miles | Good | No |
| Eastgate Diagnostic Centre | 0.7 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Leicestershire Consultant Eye Surgeons LLP @ The Stoneygate Eye Hospital | 2.1 miles | Good | No |
| Spire Leicester Hospital | 2.7 miles | Good | Yes |
| Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital | 3.0 miles | Good | Yes |
| Lumivision Laser Eye CLinic | 3.0 miles | Good | No |
| SpaMedica Leicester | 3.2 miles | Good | No |
| Newmedica Community Ophthalmology Service | 3.2 miles | Not yet rated | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Glendon Wood Hospital, Nuffield Health Derby Hospital and Nuffield Health Leicester 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
- Coventry 22 miles
- Nottingham 23 miles
- Derby 24 miles
- Solihull 32 miles
- West Bromwich 36 miles
- Peterborough 37 miles
- Wolverhampton 42 miles
- Milton Keynes 44 miles
Other treatments near Leicester
- Hip and knee replacement
- Knee arthroscopy and carpal tunnel surgery
- Hernia repair
- Cataract surgery
- CT scans
- Colonoscopy and gastroscopy
This page also covers 2 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Birstall, Thurmaston.
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 Leicester 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.