Diagnostic imaging · Southend-on-Sea
MRI scans in Southend-on-Sea: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
from£420
KIMS Hospital, Maidstone, Maidstone · 20 miles away
Typical price
£560
The middle of 6 published MRI scan prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait
About 7 in 10
on the MRI list at Mid and South Essex had waited under 6 weeks (August 2026).
People already on the list. It can’t tell you your own wait.
Prices near Southend-on-Sea
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KIMS Hospital, Maidstone
Maidstone · 20 miles away
from£420MRI scan
What’s included: KIMS calls this a guide “from” price. Its page doesn’t list what’s included, so check with the hospital.
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Spire Wellesley Hospital
Southend-on-Sea · 1.4 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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Spire Alexandra Hospital
Chatham · 17 miles away
£510MRI 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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Springfield Hospital
Chelmsford · 16 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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Spire Hartswood Hospital
Brentwood · 18 miles away
£615MRI 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 Brentwood Hospital
Brentwood · 17 miles away
£620MRI 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 Southend-on-Sea.
Hospital by hospital
Spire Wellesley Hospital, Southend-on-Sea, 1.4 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report October 2026). MRI £495 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £75 above the local lowest.
Springfield Hospital, Chelmsford, 16 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report August 2026). MRI from £609 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £189 above the local lowest.
Nuffield Health Brentwood Hospital, Brentwood, 17 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report January 2026). MRI £620 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £200 above the local lowest.
Spire Alexandra Hospital, Chatham, 17 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Requires improvement, report September 2017). MRI £510 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £90 above the local lowest.
Spire Hartswood Hospital, Brentwood, 18 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report March 2022). MRI £615 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £195 above the local lowest.
KIMS Hospital, Maidstone, Maidstone, 20 miles away (KIMS Hospital; CQC Good, report October 2019). MRI from £420 (single guide figure, no breakdown), the lowest locally.
How the prices compare
MRI scans: 6 local prices span £200, from £420 to £620; the UK median across 93 published prices is £545. The nearest, Spire Wellesley Hospital, is £75 dearer than the cheapest.
Within 5 miles of central Southend-on-Sea: Spire Wellesley Hospital (1.4 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central Southend-on-Sea: Springfield Hospital (16 miles), Nuffield Health Brentwood Hospital (17 miles), Spire Alexandra Hospital (17 miles), Spire Hartswood Hospital (18 miles) and KIMS Hospital, Maidstone (20 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 £420 to £620 at 6 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. Mid and South Essex: about 7 in 10 (68.9%) 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 Southend-on-Sea
| NHS trust | Under 6 weeks | 6 weeks or more | 13 weeks or more | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust | 68.9% | 2,450 | 62 | 7,872 |
| East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust | 68.4% | 1,258 | 61 | 3,980 |
| England | 78.0% | 78,471 | 16,345 | 357,356 |
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, 0.3 miles from Southend-on-Sea: 7,872 people waiting for MRI, 68.9% under six weeks, 62 at 13 weeks or more.
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, 26 miles from Southend-on-Sea: 3,980 people waiting for MRI, 68.4% under six weeks, 61 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: Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Other clinics nearby
The CQC register lists 6 independent scanning centres and hospitals registered with the CQC to do scans and tests within 9.3 miles: 1 outstanding, 3 good, 2 not yet rated. 1 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 6 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southend Private Hospital | 0.4 miles | Outstanding | No |
| Spire Wellesley Hospital | 1.4 miles | Good | Yes |
| The International Radiology Reporting Group Limited | 1.5 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Jorja Essex | 2.1 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Chartwell Hospital | 2.5 miles | Good | No |
| Vie Aesthetics | 4.5 miles | Good | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask KIMS Hospital, Maidstone, Nuffield Health Brentwood Hospital and Spire Alexandra Hospital for an itemised quote, as their prices are published as a single figure.
- For MRI scan, weigh KIMS Hospital, Maidstone (20 miles) against Spire Wellesley Hospital (1.4 miles): the £75 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
- Maidstone 21 miles
- Colchester 25 miles
- Ipswich 40 miles
- Watford 48 miles
- Crawley 48 miles
- Cambridge 51 miles
- Luton 53 miles
- Brighton and Hove 60 miles
Other treatments near Southend-on-Sea
This page also covers 6 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Canvey Island, Hockley and Hawkwell, Rochford, Burnham-on-Crouch, Great Wakering, Ashingdon.
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: Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, East Suffolk and North Essex 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.