How long does a private MRI scan take?

We quote what each page says; your centre will tell you the time for your own scan. Listing a centre here does not mean it is a partner of ours. Full list on Sources.

How long are you in the scanner for an MRI?

For most single-area scans, somewhere between 15 and 45 minutes. The NHS website says an MRI usually takes between 15 minutes and 1 hour, and can take longer. Private centres give similar figures: Vista Health says most of its scans take 20 to 40 minutes, Nuffield Health's Manchester Diagnostic Suite says about 30 minutes for each area, and Circle Health Group gives a wider range of 15 to 90 minutes because it includes the longest and most complex scans.

The time is not one long picture. An MRI is a series of shorter scans, called sequences, taken one after another. Between them the scanner goes quiet while the radiographer checks the images and sets up the next one. Each sequence shows the tissue in a slightly different way, so the radiologist can tell fluid, fat, cartilage, bone marrow and swelling apart. A scan that needs more sequences, more angles or a larger area takes longer.

You need to lie still during each sequence. Movement blurs the images, and a blurred sequence may have to be repeated, which adds time. The NHS website says you may also be asked to hold your breath during parts of the scan, which is common for the chest and abdomen.

How long is a whole private MRI appointment?

Longer than the scan itself. Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's patient leaflet says taking the images usually takes about 10 to 45 minutes, but your total time in the department is likely to be about 60 minutes. That extra time covers the parts people forget to count:

• Arriving early. Vista Health asks you to arrive 15 minutes before your appointment. The Coventry and Warwickshire contrast leaflet asks for at least 20 minutes, and says you may not be scanned if you arrive late.
• The safety questionnaire. Every centre checks for pacemakers, implants, metal fragments, pregnancy and kidney problems before you go near the magnet. If you have filled it in at home, bring it.
• Changing. You remove jewellery, watches, keys and cards, and may change into a gown if your clothes have metal fastenings.
• Positioning. The radiographer places a coil, a piece of equipment that picks up the signal, over or around the area being scanned.
• After the scan. Getting dressed, and, if you had contrast, a short wait to check you feel well.

As a working rule from these pages, allow about an hour at the centre for one body area without contrast, and more for contrast, several areas or a full body scan. Your appointment letter or booking email is the figure to plan around.

Does the body area change how long an MRI takes?

Yes. Small joints are usually the quickest; the abdomen, the heart and multi-area scans take longest. Vista Health publishes a time on many of its body-area pages, which gives a useful single-source comparison.

Where one page gives two different times, we show both. Ask the centre which applies to your booking.

Scanning more than one area adds roughly the time of each extra area, because each one needs its own set of sequences and often a different coil. Nuffield's figure of about 30 minutes for each area makes the point. A whole spine scan is really three regions in one visit, so it takes longer than a lower back scan alone. If you are booking two areas, ask whether they can be done in one visit or need two.

Does an MRI with contrast take longer?

Usually, yes, by a little. Contrast is a dye, usually gadolinium-based, injected into a vein in your arm through a thin tube called a cannula. Time goes on three things: putting the cannula in, the extra sequences taken after the injection, and a short wait afterwards. The NHS website says that after contrast you may be asked to wait for up to 30 minutes, to make sure you do not have a reaction. Vista Health's cardiac page says scans with contrast may require extra time.

Contrast can also add steps before the day. The Coventry and Warwickshire leaflet says that if you are over 65 or have a history of kidney disease, you need a kidney function blood test from the last three months before a contrast scan, and that without the result your scan is unlikely to go ahead. The same leaflet says not to eat or drink for at least four hours before a liver MRI or an MRCP. If your centre asks for any of these, do them early so the appointment is not wasted.

Some body scans also use Buscopan, an injection that reduces movement in the gut. Gloucestershire Hospitals' leaflet says it can cause a dry mouth and a faster heart rate for about 20 minutes.

How long does an open or upright MRI take?

Often longer than a standard tunnel scan. Vista Health says most of its open MRI appointments take about 45 minutes, and asks you to arrive about 15 minutes before. The reason is the magnet. NHS Gloucestershire ICB's open and upright MRI policy says these scanners generally have a lower magnetic field strength, which can reduce image quality and increase the length of the examination. Vista lists its open and upright scanners at 0.4 to 0.6 tesla, against the 1.5 tesla it states for its cardiac scanner.

If you choose open MRI because you are claustrophobic, the longer time is often a fair trade, because you can see out. If you are choosing it only to save time, it is the wrong choice. A wide-bore tunnel scanner, which has a larger opening, may suit you better; ask the centre what it has.

Why can an MRI take longer than expected?

• Movement. A blurred sequence is repeated. Pain that makes it hard to lie still is worth mentioning when you book, so the radiographer can make you comfortable.
• Extra sequences. If the radiographer or radiologist sees something that needs a closer look, they may add sequences or contrast while you are there, which can save a second visit.
• Implants. If the centre cannot confirm that a device in your body is safe for MRI, the Coventry and Warwickshire leaflet says it cannot scan you and will rebook once it has the right information. Bring the make and model of any implant.
• Anxiety. The NHS website says you can talk to the hospital before your appointment if you are anxious or claustrophobic; you may be offered a medicine to help you relax. If you have that, someone needs to take you home by car or taxi and you should not drive for 24 hours, so the visit takes longer.
• Delays. Gloucestershire Hospitals' leaflet notes that emergency patients can delay a list. That is more common in hospitals than at stand-alone centres.

How soon can I get a private MRI appointment?

That is a different question from how long the scan takes. On 14 October 2026, Vista Health listed one-area MRI at £249 off-peak, £360 standard (from seven days) and £380 fast track within 7 days, and said it scans in the evenings, at weekends and on bank holidays. Nuffield Health's Manchester Diagnostic Suite said you could get a private appointment tomorrow, with a referral from a registered healthcare professional. Circle Health Group said you can usually see a specialist within 48 hours of booking, and that the specialist books the scan if you need one.

For comparison, NHS England's August 2026 DM01 data, published 8 October 2026, show 22.0% of the 357,356 people on the MRI waiting list had already waited six weeks or more. Our cost page compares prices, and report times covers the wait after the scan for the written report, which is a separate step again.

What should I allow for on the day?

1. Read the appointment letter for the arrival time; centres we checked ask for 15 to 20 minutes before.
2. Wear clothes with no metal zips, hooks or buttons, and leave jewellery and valuables at home.
3. Bring the safety questionnaire, a list of medicines and details of any implant.
4. Follow any fasting or blood-test instructions you were given, especially for contrast, liver or MRCP scans.
5. Allow about an hour in total for one area, and more for contrast, several areas, open MRI or a full body scan.
6. Plan a lift home if you are having a relaxing medicine.

Gloucestershire Hospitals' leaflet says there are no side effects from the MRI itself and you can drive home and carry on as normal afterwards. If you had contrast, it suggests drinking plenty of fluids. Start from the private MRI hub if you have not yet chosen a body area or centre type.

Want one centre to call you? Request a private MRI. Free for you; the centre may pay us.