Diagnostic imaging · Watford
MRI scans in Watford: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
£430
Spire Thames Valley Hospital, Slough · 10 miles away
Typical price
£567
The middle of 7 published MRI scan prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait
About 10 in 10
on the MRI list at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals had waited under 6 weeks (August 2026).
People already on the list. It can’t tell you your own wait.
Prices near Watford
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Spire Thames Valley Hospital
Slough · 10 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 St Anthonys Hospital
Sutton · 20 miles away
£515MRI 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 Bushey Hospital
Bushey · 3.3 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 · 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.
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Nuffield Health Woking Hospital
Woking · 23 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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Spire Harpenden Hospital
Harpenden · 13 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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Ashtead Hospital
Ashtead · 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 Watford.
Hospital by hospital
Spire Bushey Hospital, Bushey, 3.3 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report December 2021). MRI £545 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £115 above the local lowest.
Spire Thames Valley Hospital, Slough, 10 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report February 2020). MRI £430 (single guide figure, no breakdown), the lowest locally.
Spire Harpenden Hospital, Harpenden, 13 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report January 2017). MRI £595 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £165 above the local lowest.
Spire St Anthonys Hospital, Sutton, 20 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report September 2026). MRI £515 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £85 above the local lowest.
Pinehill Hospital, Hitchin, 22 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report March 2019). MRI from £567 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £137 above the local lowest.
Nuffield Health Woking Hospital, Woking, 23 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report August 2017). MRI £590 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £160 above the local lowest.
Ashtead Hospital, Ashtead, 24 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report July 2017). MRI from £609 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £179 above the local lowest.
How the prices compare
MRI scans: 7 local prices span £179, from £430 to £609; the UK median across 93 published prices is £545. The nearest, Spire Bushey Hospital, is £115 dearer than the cheapest.
Within 5 miles of central Watford: Spire Bushey Hospital (3.3 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central Watford: Spire Thames Valley Hospital (10 miles), Spire Harpenden Hospital (13 miles), Spire St Anthonys Hospital (20 miles), Pinehill Hospital (22 miles), Nuffield Health Woking Hospital (23 miles) and Ashtead 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 £430 to £609 at 7 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals: about 10 in 10 (96.1%) 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 Watford
| NHS trust | Under 6 weeks | 6 weeks or more | 13 weeks or more | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | 96.1% | 62 | 0 | 1,598 |
| Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 66.6% | 1,290 | 534 | 3,857 |
| England | 78.0% | 78,471 | 16,345 | 357,356 |
West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, 0.1 miles from Watford: 1,598 people waiting for MRI, 96.1% under six weeks, 0 at 13 weeks or more.
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 17 miles from Watford: 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: West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust on Waiting Times UK, Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Other clinics nearby
The CQC register lists 21 independent scanning centres and hospitals registered with the CQC to do scans and tests within 9.3 miles: 1 outstanding, 14 good, 1 requires improvement, 5 not yet rated. 1 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 12 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| MACS Clinic | 0.7 miles | Good | No |
| Community Health and Eyecare Limited (CHEC - Watford) | 0.7 miles | Requires improvement | No |
| SpaMedica Watford | 1.6 miles | Good | No |
| Skin Medical | 2.7 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Bishops Wood Hospital | 2.8 miles | Good | No |
| Miracle Scan Ltd | 3.2 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Spire Bushey Hospital | 3.3 miles | Good | Yes |
| HCA Healthcare UK Elstree Waterfront Outpatients | 4.0 miles | Outstanding | No |
| Genesis Care, Elstree | 4.3 miles | Good | No |
| The Imaging Centre | 6.0 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| The Clementine Churchill Hospital | 6.5 miles | Good | No |
| Community Imaging Services Ltd | 7.0 miles | Good | No |
And 9 more within 9.3 miles on the register.
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Ashtead Hospital, Nuffield Health Woking Hospital and Pinehill Hospital for an itemised quote, as their prices are published as a single figure.
- For MRI scan, weigh Spire Thames Valley Hospital (10 miles) against Spire Bushey Hospital (3.3 miles): the £115 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
- Luton 17 miles
- Reading 28 miles
- Milton Keynes 31 miles
- Oxford 37 miles
- Crawley 38 miles
- Basingstoke 40 miles
- Cambridge 45 miles
- Maidstone 48 miles
Other treatments near Watford
This page also covers 2 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Rickmansworth, Moor Park.
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: West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS 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.