Diagnostic imaging · Milton Keynes
MRI scans in Milton Keynes: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
from£567
Pinehill Hospital, Hitchin · 22 miles away
NHS wait
About 9 in 10
on the MRI list at Milton Keynes University Hospital had waited under 6 weeks (August 2026).
People already on the list. It can’t tell you your own wait.
Prices near Milton Keynes
-
Pinehill Hospital
Hitchin · 22 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.
-
Spire Harpenden Hospital
Harpenden · 22 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.
Prices the hospitals publish on their own websites, not quotes. Nobody pays to be listed. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of Milton Keynes.
Hospital by hospital
Pinehill Hospital, Hitchin, 22 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report March 2019). MRI from £567 (single guide figure, no breakdown), the lowest locally.
Spire Harpenden Hospital, Harpenden, 22 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report January 2017). MRI £595 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £28 above the local lowest.
How the prices compare
MRI scans: 2 local prices span £28, from £567 to £595; the UK median across 93 published prices is £545.
10 to 25 miles of central Milton Keynes: Pinehill Hospital (22 miles) and Spire Harpenden 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 £567 to £595 at 2 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. Milton Keynes University Hospital: about 9 in 10 (92.9%) 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 Milton Keynes
| NHS trust | Under 6 weeks | 6 weeks or more | 13 weeks or more | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 92.9% | 31 | 0 | 434 |
| Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 66.6% | 1,290 | 534 | 3,857 |
| England | 78.0% | 78,471 | 16,345 | 357,356 |
Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 1.4 miles from Milton Keynes: 434 people waiting for MRI, 92.9% under six weeks, 0 at 13 weeks or more.
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 16 miles from Milton Keynes: 3,857 people waiting for MRI, 66.6% under six weeks, 534 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: Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Other clinics nearby
The CQC register lists 11 independent scanning centres and hospitals registered with the CQC to do scans and tests within 9.3 miles: 3 good, 8 not yet rated. 0 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 11 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACES Milton Keynes Hospital | 0.4 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Optical Express – Milton Keynes Hospital | 0.4 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Bloom Health Hospitals | 0.4 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| KPI:Health | 0.4 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Athena Surgical Centre | 1.1 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| The Saxon Clinic | 1.2 miles | Good | No |
| Genesis Care, Milton Keynes | 1.4 miles | Good | No |
| Comfort Scan | 2.0 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Community Health and Eyecare Milton Keynes | 2.6 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Blakelands Hospital | 2.7 miles | Good | No |
| Numi Scan MK | 3.5 miles | Not yet rated | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Pinehill Hospital and Spire Harpenden 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
- Luton 17 miles
- Oxford 29 miles
- Watford 31 miles
- Cambridge 40 miles
- Coventry 41 miles
- Reading 42 miles
- Peterborough 43 miles
- Leicester 44 miles
Other treatments near Milton Keynes
This page also covers 1 nearby place with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Bletchley.
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: Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Bedfordshire Hospitals 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.