Diagnostic imaging · York
MRI scans in York: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
from£325
Clifton Park Hospital, York · 1.7 miles away
Typical price
£565
The middle of 5 published MRI scan prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait
About 9 in 10
on the MRI list at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals had waited under 6 weeks (August 2026).
People already on the list. It can’t tell you your own wait.
Prices near York
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Clifton Park Hospital
York · 1.7 miles away
from£325MRI (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 Leeds Hospital
Leeds · 19 miles away
£565MRI 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 Methley Park Hospital
Leeds · 20 miles away
£565MRI 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 York Hospital
York · 1.4 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 Leeds Hospital
Leeds · 22 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.
Prices the hospitals publish on their own websites, not quotes. Nobody pays to be listed. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of York.
Hospital by hospital
Nuffield Health York Hospital, York, 1.4 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report December 2025). MRI £590 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £265 above the local lowest.
Clifton Park Hospital, York, 1.7 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report January 2026). MRI from £325 (single guide figure, no breakdown), the lowest locally.
Spire Leeds Hospital, Leeds, 19 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report June 2020). MRI £565 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £240 above the local lowest.
Spire Methley Park Hospital, Leeds, 20 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report January 2024). MRI £565 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £240 above the local lowest.
Nuffield Health Leeds Hospital, Leeds, 22 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report May 2025). MRI £590 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £265 above the local lowest.
How the prices compare
MRI scans: 5 local prices span £265, from £325 to £590; the UK median across 93 published prices is £545. The nearest, Nuffield Health York Hospital, is £265 dearer than the cheapest.
Within 5 miles of central York: Nuffield Health York Hospital (1.4 miles) and Clifton Park Hospital (1.7 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central York: Spire Leeds Hospital (19 miles), Spire Methley Park Hospital (20 miles) and Nuffield Health Leeds 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 £325 to £590 at 5 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals: about 9 in 10 (92.1%) 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 York
| NHS trust | Under 6 weeks | 6 weeks or more | 13 weeks or more | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 92.1% | 162 | 14 | 2,040 |
| Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust | 75.4% | 73 | 9 | 297 |
| England | 78.0% | 78,471 | 16,345 | 357,356 |
York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 0.8 miles from York: 2,040 people waiting for MRI, 92.1% under six weeks, 14 at 13 weeks or more.
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, 18 miles from York: 297 people waiting for MRI, 75.4% under six weeks, 9 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: York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Other clinics nearby
The CQC register lists 8 independent scanning centres and hospitals registered with the CQC to do scans and tests within 19 miles: 5 good, 1 requires improvement, 2 not yet rated. 2 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 8 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coppergate Clinic | 0.4 miles | Good | No |
| Nuffield Health York Hospital | 1.4 miles | Good | Yes |
| Smart Imaging | 1.6 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Clifton Park Hospital Limited | 1.7 miles | Good | Yes |
| Optegra Bowcliffe Hall | 12 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Spire Harrogate Clinic | 18 miles | Good | No |
| The Hair Dr, Leeds Private Hospital | 18 miles | Requires improvement | No |
| SpaMedica Leeds | 18 miles | Good | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Clifton Park Hospital, Nuffield Health Leeds Hospital and Nuffield Health York 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
- Bradford 30 miles
- Huddersfield 36 miles
- Middlesbrough 41 miles
- Sheffield 43 miles
- Stockport 58 miles
- Blackburn 59 miles
- Bolton 60 miles
- Sunderland 67 miles
This page also covers 9 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Scarborough, Bridlington, Beverley, Selby, Driffield, Huntington, Haxby, Strensall, Easingwold.
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: York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Harrogate and District 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.