| Centre type | From-price | Referral rule | Report time | Source | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated scanning centre group (Vista Health) | £249 off-peak; £360 standard; £380 fast track (within 7 days) | Self-referral accepted (18+) | Written report within 3 working days | vista-health.co.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| Dedicated scanning centre group: contrast add-on (Vista Health) | +£125 if contrast is needed (not for under 16s) | Contrast scans go through an enquiry form first | Written report within 3 working days | vista-health.co.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| Hospital group hospital (Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital) | £590 one part (guide price) | Referral from a healthcare professional needed | Results to your referrer within a week | nuffieldhealth.com | 5 October 2026 |
- Price is per single body area. Contrast, if needed, is £125 extra.
Each figure is the centre's own published price, checked 5 October 2026; the quote a centre gives you for Brighton is what counts. Listed does not mean partner. See Sources.
What we can and cannot do in Brighton
We are not a clinic and not the NHS. We do not scan, diagnose, refer or book a slot, and we cannot tell you whether you need a brain MRI. Urgent symptoms such as new weakness, numbness around the genitals or back passage, loss of bladder or bowel control, a sudden severe headache or chest pain need 999, NHS 111 or your GP today. What we can do: show the Brighton prices and rules we checked, and pass your request to one partner centre covering Brighton, if one does. Free for you; the centre may pay us.
Four steps to a private brain MRI in Brighton
- Body area: brain, one side unless you say otherwise.
- Referral rule: self-referral or a letter, depending on the Brighton centre.
- Centre type: dedicated, hospital group or open, compared on price, rule and report time.
- Ask one centre to contact you with the form. Nothing is booked until you agree a time and price.
Where can I get a private brain MRI in Brighton?
Brighton has a private hospital on the east side of the city, a dedicated scanning site at Brighton Marina, and further options across Sussex. Vista Health also listed Eastbourne on 5 October 2026, which may suit people east of the city.
Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital, in the BN2 postcode on the east side of Brighton, published a one-part guide price of £590 on 5 October 2026, with a referral needed and results to your referrer within a week. Vista Health's Brighton Marina site, also BN2, charges its national prices. Spire Healthcare's hospital list includes Spire Gatwick Park Hospital, north of Crawley, which some people in mid Sussex use; Spire did not publish an MRI price for it that we could verify.
Vista Health's own location list, checked 5 October 2026, includes these sites for the Brighton area: Brighton Marina. Its prices are national, so the table row applies to each of them; check that the site you pick offers a brain scan on the day you want.
Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital publishes a one-part MRI guide price of £590 and says you need a referral from a healthcare professional; it gives a firm price once that referral has been reviewed.
Can I book a private brain MRI in Brighton without a GP?
Sometimes. Vista Health offers adult self-referral for head scans after a questionnaire reviewed by its clinicians, at the same price at its sites near Brighton. Many centres are more cautious with head scans than joint scans. Hospital groups usually want a referral from a GP or consultant. NICE advises against brain imaging solely for reassurance in typical migraine or tension-type headache. For a sudden severe headache, weakness, slurred speech, confusion or a first seizure, call 999. See self-referral and GP letter.
For a head scan in Brighton, both published private options are close together on the east side of the city, so compare them on referral rule and who explains the report. Nuffield Health Brighton listed £590 for one part with a referral on 5 October 2026; Vista Health added £125 for contrast.
Head scans are offered at both the dedicated and the hospital-group site in Brighton. If a neurologist is already involved, ask whether they want a particular protocol, and plan who will explain the report if you self-refer.
How long is the NHS wait for an MRI in Brighton?
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust runs the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and other hospitals across Sussex. NHS England's diagnostics waiting times data for July 2026 (DM01, published 10 September 2026) show that 21.4% of people waiting for an MRI had already waited six weeks or more. That is the England figure; the trust's own figure is in NHS England's monthly provider data.
How do I get to a scanning centre in or near Brighton?
Brighton's hills, narrow streets and paid parking make travel time worth checking. Brighton Marina has a large car park and regular buses from the city centre. The east-side hospital site is reached by road from Kemp Town or Woodingdean. If you live in Hove, Worthing or mid Sussex, compare travel times to sites to the north or west before choosing.
If you live in Hove or Portslade, the Marina is at the opposite end of the seafront, so allow time for traffic along the coast road. People in Lewes, Worthing or the Weald may find a site outside the city easier to reach; compare travel time as well as price before you choose.
Can I have a brain MRI in Brighton with a pacemaker or implant?
Possibly, but it needs planning. Some pacemakers, defibrillators, cochlear implants, nerve stimulators and older aneurysm clips are not MRI-safe; others are MRI-conditional and can be scanned only under set conditions, often in a hospital with cardiac staff on hand. Give the Brighton centre the make and model when you book. Do not assume a dedicated centre can scan you; many cannot.
Who will explain a private brain MRI report in Brighton?
Decide before you book. A consultant radiologist writes the report, but phrases such as "non-specific white matter foci" are common and often harmless, and you need a doctor to say what they mean for you. Options include your NHS GP, a private GP, or a private neurologist in Brighton, which is an extra cost. Ask the centre whether it sends the report to your GP.
Should I self-refer for a brain MRI in Brighton for memory problems?
Think carefully first. Memory problems have many causes, including low mood, poor sleep, thyroid problems, vitamin deficiency and medication side effects, and many of those are found with a GP assessment and blood tests, not a scan. If a GP or memory service thinks a scan would help, they will usually ask for one as part of an assessment. A private scan without that assessment can show age-related changes that are hard to interpret on their own.
Back to the main private brain MRI page, or see other cities.
Where can I get a private MRI in Brighton?
On 5 October 2026, Vista Health listed a Brighton Marina site, and Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital listed £590 for one part with a referral.
Is parking easy at Brighton MRI sites?
Brighton Marina has a large car park. Elsewhere in the city parking is often limited and paid, so check before you go.
Can I book a private brain MRI in Brighton without a GP?
Some dedicated centres accept adult self-referral for head scans after a clinical review. Many people in Brighton see a private GP or neurologist first so someone can explain the result.
Will a brain MRI explain my headaches?
Usually not. NICE advises against brain imaging solely for reassurance in typical migraine or tension-type headache.
Want one Brighton centre to call you? Request a private MRI.