Diagnostic imaging · Liverpool
MRI scans in Liverpool: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
from£525
Buckshaw Hospital, Chorley · 22 miles away
Typical price
£565
The middle of 5 published MRI scan prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait
About 9 in 10
on the MRI list at Liverpool University Hospitals had waited under 6 weeks (August 2026).
People already on the list. It can’t tell you your own wait.
Prices near Liverpool
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Buckshaw Hospital
Chorley · 22 miles away
from£525MRI (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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Spire Liverpool Hospital
Liverpool · 1.7 miles away
£565MRI 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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Spire Murrayfield Hospital Wirral
Wirral · 7.8 miles away
£565MRI 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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Spire Cheshire Hospital
Warrington · 15 miles away
£585MRI 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 Chester Hospital
Chester · 16 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.
Prices the hospitals publish on their own websites, not quotes. Nobody pays to be listed. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of Liverpool.
Hospital by hospital
Spire Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, 1.7 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report October 2022). MRI £565 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £40 above the local lowest.
Spire Murrayfield Hospital Wirral, Wirral, 7.8 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report July 2022). MRI £565 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £40 above the local lowest.
Spire Cheshire Hospital, Warrington, 15 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Outstanding, report May 2017). MRI £585 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £60 above the local lowest.
Nuffield Health Chester Hospital, Chester, 16 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report December 2016). MRI £590 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £65 above the local lowest.
Buckshaw Hospital, Chorley, 22 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report July 2026). MRI from £525 (single guide figure, no breakdown), the lowest locally.
How the prices compare
MRI scans: 5 local prices span £65, from £525 to £590; the UK median across 93 published prices is £545. The nearest, Spire Liverpool Hospital, is £40 dearer than the cheapest.
Within 5 miles of central Liverpool: Spire Liverpool Hospital (1.7 miles).
5 to 10 miles of central Liverpool: Spire Murrayfield Hospital Wirral (7.8 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central Liverpool: Spire Cheshire Hospital (15 miles), Nuffield Health Chester Hospital (16 miles) and Buckshaw Hospital (22 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 £525 to £590 at 5 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. Liverpool University Hospitals: about 9 in 10 (90.5%) 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 Liverpool
| NHS trust | Under 6 weeks | 6 weeks or more | 13 weeks or more | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 90.5% | 221 | 0 | 2,319 |
| Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | 86.2% | 402 | 27 | 2,904 |
| England | 78.0% | 78,471 | 16,345 | 357,356 |
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 1.8 miles from Liverpool: 2,319 people waiting for MRI, 90.5% under six weeks, 0 at 13 weeks or more.
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, 5.7 miles from Liverpool: 2,904 people waiting for MRI, 86.2% under six weeks, 27 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: Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS 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 9.3 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
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpaMedica Liverpool | 0.4 miles | Outstanding | No |
| Spire Liverpool Hospital | 1.7 miles | Good | Yes |
| ACES Liverpool Hospital | 2.9 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| SpaMedica Wirral | 4.8 miles | Good | No |
| ASET Hospital | 5.9 miles | Requires improvement | No |
| Crosby Hospital | 6.3 miles | Good | No |
| Spire Murrayfield Hospital | 7.8 miles | Good | Yes |
| Fairfield Independent Hospital | 8.7 miles | Good | No |
| SpaMedica Widnes | 9.1 miles | Outstanding | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Buckshaw Hospital, Nuffield Health Chester Hospital and Spire Cheshire Hospital for an itemised quote, as their prices are published as a single figure.
- For MRI scan, weigh Buckshaw Hospital (22 miles) against Spire Liverpool Hospital (1.7 miles): the £40 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
- Chester 15 miles
- Bolton 24 miles
- Blackpool 27 miles
- Blackburn 29 miles
- Stockport 31 miles
- Stoke-on-Trent 43 miles
- Huddersfield 49 miles
- Telford 53 miles
Other treatments near Liverpool
This page also covers 5 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Birkenhead, Wallasey, Bootle, Greasby, Meols.
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: Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals 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.