Diagnostic imaging · Luton
MRI scans in Luton: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
£545
Spire Bushey Hospital, Bushey · 18 miles away
Typical price
£581
The middle of 4 published MRI scan prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait
About 7 in 10
on the MRI list at Bedfordshire Hospitals had waited under 6 weeks (August 2026).
People already on the list. It can’t tell you your own wait.
Prices near Luton
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Spire Bushey Hospital
Bushey · 18 miles away
£545MRI 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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Pinehill Hospital
Hitchin · 7.9 miles away
from£567MRI (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 Harpenden Hospital
Harpenden · 5.3 miles away
£595MRI 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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Rivers Hospital
Sawbridgeworth · 24 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 Luton.
Hospital by hospital
Spire Harpenden Hospital, Harpenden, 5.3 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report January 2017). MRI £595 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £50 above the local lowest.
Pinehill Hospital, Hitchin, 7.9 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report March 2019). MRI from £567 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £22 above the local lowest.
Spire Bushey Hospital, Bushey, 18 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report December 2021). MRI £545 (single guide figure, no breakdown), the lowest locally.
Rivers Hospital, Sawbridgeworth, 24 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report October 2026). MRI from £609 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £64 above the local lowest.
How the prices compare
MRI scans: 4 local prices span £64, from £545 to £609; the UK median across 93 published prices is £545. The nearest, Spire Harpenden Hospital, is £50 dearer than the cheapest.
5 to 10 miles of central Luton: Spire Harpenden Hospital (5.3 miles) and Pinehill Hospital (7.9 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central Luton: Spire Bushey Hospital (18 miles) and Rivers Hospital (24 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 £545 to £609 at 4 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. Bedfordshire Hospitals: about 7 in 10 (66.6%) 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 Luton
| NHS trust | Under 6 weeks | 6 weeks or more | 13 weeks or more | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 66.6% | 1,290 | 534 | 3,857 |
| East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust | 72.6% | 642 | 50 | 2,339 |
| England | 78.0% | 78,471 | 16,345 | 357,356 |
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 2.1 miles from Luton: 3,857 people waiting for MRI, 66.6% under six weeks, 534 at 13 weeks or more.
East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust, 9.3 miles from Luton: 2,339 people waiting for MRI, 72.6% under six weeks, 50 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: Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, East and North Hertfordshire Teaching 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: 7 good, 2 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? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fusion Radiology | 0.5 miles | Good | No |
| SpaMedica Luton | 2.1 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Riverbanks Clinic | 4.3 miles | Good | No |
| Spire Harpenden Hospital | 5.3 miles | Good | Yes |
| Aventus Clinic | 7.4 miles | Good | No |
| Pinehill Hospital | 7.9 miles | Good | Yes |
| Direct Imaging Limited | 8.0 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| One Stop Doctors T/A One Stop Healthcare | 8.9 miles | Good | No |
| Vital Radiology Services | 9.3 miles | Good | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Pinehill Hospital, Rivers Hospital and Spire Bushey Hospital for an itemised quote, as their prices are published as a single figure.
- For MRI scan, weigh Spire Bushey Hospital (18 miles) against Spire Harpenden Hospital (5.3 miles): the £50 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
- Watford 17 miles
- Milton Keynes 17 miles
- Cambridge 32 miles
- Oxford 37 miles
- Reading 39 miles
- Peterborough 47 miles
- Basingstoke 52 miles
- Southend-on-Sea 53 miles
Other treatments near Luton
This page also covers 1 nearby place with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Hitchin.
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: Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, East and North Hertfordshire Teaching 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.