Diagnostic imaging · Reading
MRI scans in Reading: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
£430
Spire Thames Valley Hospital, Slough · 18 miles away
Typical price
£590
The middle of 6 published MRI scan prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait
About 9 in 10
on the MRI list at Royal Berkshire had waited under 6 weeks (August 2026).
People already on the list. It can’t tell you your own wait.
Prices near Reading
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Spire Thames Valley Hospital
Slough · 18 miles away
£430MRI 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 Clare Park Hospital
Farnham · 16 miles away
£480MRI 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 Woking Hospital
Woking · 19 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.
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Nuffield Health Oxford Hospital
Oxford · 25 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.
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Nuffield Health Guildford Hospital
Guildford · 21 miles away
£592MRI 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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Berkshire Independent Hospital
Reading · 1.1 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 Reading.
Hospital by hospital
Berkshire Independent Hospital, Reading, 1.1 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report May 2020). MRI from £609 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £179 above the local lowest.
Spire Clare Park Hospital, Farnham, 16 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report October 2024). MRI £480 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £50 above the local lowest.
Spire Thames Valley Hospital, Slough, 18 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report February 2020). MRI £430 (single guide figure, no breakdown), the lowest locally.
Nuffield Health Woking Hospital, Woking, 19 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report August 2017). MRI £590 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £160 above the local lowest.
Nuffield Health Guildford Hospital, Guildford, 21 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report July 2019). MRI £592 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £162 above the local lowest.
Nuffield Health Oxford Hospital, Oxford, 25 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report June 2022). MRI £590 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £160 above the local lowest.
How the prices compare
MRI scans: 6 local prices span £179, from £430 to £609; the UK median across 93 published prices is £545. The nearest, Berkshire Independent Hospital, is £179 dearer than the cheapest.
Within 5 miles of central Reading: Berkshire Independent Hospital (1.1 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central Reading: Spire Clare Park Hospital (16 miles), Spire Thames Valley Hospital (18 miles), Nuffield Health Woking Hospital (19 miles), Nuffield Health Guildford Hospital (21 miles) and Nuffield Health Oxford 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 £430 to £609 at 6 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. Royal Berkshire: about 9 in 10 (89.1%) 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 Reading
| NHS trust | Under 6 weeks | 6 weeks or more | 13 weeks or more | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust | 89.1% | 272 | 46 | 2,492 |
| Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust | 78.0% | 309 | 4 | 1,403 |
| England | 78.0% | 78,471 | 16,345 | 357,356 |
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, 0.7 miles from Reading: 2,492 people waiting for MRI, 89.1% under six weeks, 46 at 13 weeks or more.
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, 21 miles from Reading: 1,403 people waiting for MRI, 78.0% under six weeks, 4 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: Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS 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: 4 good, 2 requires improvement, 5 not yet rated. 1 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 11 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thames Valley General Surgery (TVGS) (1) | 0.7 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| CircleReading | 1.0 miles | Good | No |
| The Berkshire Independent Hospital | 1.1 miles | Good | Yes |
| Thames Valley General Surgery (TVGS) (3) | 1.1 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Thames Valley General Surgery (TVGS) (2) | 1.2 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Spire Dunedin Hospital | 1.2 miles | Good | No |
| Berkshire Imaging LLP | 3.0 miles | Requires improvement | No |
| SpaMedica Wokingham | 5.5 miles | Good | No |
| Evolutio Care Innovations | 6.7 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Berkshire Grove Hospital | 8.9 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Chiltern Medical Clinic, Goring on Thames | 9.3 miles | Requires improvement | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Berkshire Independent Hospital, Nuffield Health Guildford Hospital and Nuffield Health Oxford Hospital for an itemised quote, as their prices are published as a single figure.
- For MRI scan, weigh Spire Thames Valley Hospital (18 miles) against Berkshire Independent Hospital (1.1 miles): the £179 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
- Basingstoke 14 miles
- Oxford 25 miles
- Watford 28 miles
- Luton 39 miles
- Southampton 40 miles
- Crawley 41 miles
- Milton Keynes 42 miles
- Chichester 42 miles
Other treatments near Reading
This page also covers 4 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Caversham, Woodley, Spencers Wood and Three Mile Cross, Burghfield Common.
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: Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Buckinghamshire Healthcare 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.