Private scans, explained
What scans cost, what they show, how to prepare, and when a scan is not the right answer. Written by the FindScan editorial team and checked against NHS, NICE and UK provider data.
Guide
What do scans look like? Real examples of each type of scan
Real MRI, CT, X-ray, ultrasound, DEXA, mammogram and echocardiogram images, with a plain-English note on what each one is good at showing.
Mammogram
Breast MRI scan vs mammogram: what each test does and who needs which
Breast MRI vs mammogram: how each test works, who breast MRI is for (high risk, dense breasts, implants, staging) and why mammograms are used to screen.
Guide
Community diagnostic centres: what they are and how to use them
What is an NHS community diagnostic centre? Which scans CDCs offer, how referral works, opening hours and how CDCs compare with private scans.
DEXA
DEXA scan and body fat: how body composition DEXA differs from a bone density scan
How a body composition DEXA scan differs from a bone density scan, what the report shows, and what UK radiation rules say about scans for body fat.
DEXA
DEXA scan results explained: T-scores, Z-scores and what happens next
DEXA scan results explained in plain English: what T-scores and Z-scores mean, the WHO bands, and how FRAX and risk factors shape next steps.
X-ray
Will an X-ray show arthritis?
Will an X-ray show arthritis? What hip and knee X-rays show in osteoarthritis, why many people are diagnosed without one, and when MRI or ultrasound helps.
Echocardiogram
Echocardiogram versus ECG: what is the difference?
Echocardiogram versus ECG explained: one records your heart's electrical activity, the other uses ultrasound to show its structure and pumping.
MRI
How long does an MRI scan take?
How long does an MRI take? Typical scan times by body part, why they vary, how long to allow for your visit and when results usually arrive.
MRI
Crohn's MRI scans and MR enterography: what to expect
What a Crohn's MRI scan and MR enterography involve: the drink, the injection, contrast, what the scan shows and pelvic MRI for perianal fistula.
MRI
MRI and the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis: what scans can and cannot show
How MRI is used in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, what MS lesions on MRI mean, why contrast is used and whether an MRI can rule out MS.
MRI
MRI scan of the leg and thigh: what it shows and when it helps
What an MRI scan of the leg or thigh can show, from hamstring and calf injuries to stress fractures and lumps, when ultrasound comes first and red flags.
CT
NHS lung cancer screening: what the national rollout means for you
NHS lung cancer screening is rolling out across England. Who is invited, what happens at the lung health check and CT scan, and the benefits and limits.
Echocardiogram
Private echocardiogram cost in the UK: what affects the price?
What affects echocardiogram cost in the UK: type of echo, who reports it, consultant review, extras and location, plus the NHS route and what to ask.
Mammogram
How much does a private mammogram cost in the UK? What affects the price
What affects the cost of a private mammogram in the UK: 2D or 3D, ultrasound, consultant review and reporting, plus NHS screening and referral rules.
MRI
Prostate cancer screening in the UK: what the 2026 decision means
The UK's first prostate cancer screening programme explained: who is eligible, why all men are not screened, and where PSA tests and MRI fit in.
Echocardiogram
Types of echocardiogram: transthoracic, TOE, bubble and stress echo
Transthoracic, transoesophageal, bubble and stress echocardiograms explained: what happens, why each is used, how to prepare and which need a hospital.
Echocardiogram
What will an echocardiogram show?
What an echocardiogram can show: heart chambers, valves, murmurs and pumping (ejection fraction), plus what it cannot show well, explained simply.
CT
Which scan is used for kidney stones?
CT scan for kidney stones explained: why low-dose CT KUB is usually first for adults, when ultrasound or X-ray is used, and when to get urgent help.
Guide
X-ray vs CT vs MRI: what is the difference?
What is the difference between a CT scan and an X-ray, and how does MRI compare? How each works, what each is best at, radiation doses and scan times.
CT
CT With Contrast: What to Expect and How to Prepare
CT with contrast explained: what the iodine-based dye is, how it is given, what it feels like, how to prepare, the risks and what to do after your scan.
MRI
MRI With Contrast: What Gadolinium Dye Is and What to Expect
MRI with contrast explained: what gadolinium dye is, why it is used, how it is given, side effects, kidney checks, breastfeeding and what UK regulators say.
Guide
Can You Eat Before a CT Scan or an MRI? Food and Drink Before a Scan
Can you eat before a CT scan or an MRI? What NHS hospitals ask about food, drink, water and medicines before CT, MRI, ultrasound, X-ray and DEXA scans.
MRI
What Does an MRI Scan Show?
What does an MRI scan show? How MRI images the brain, spine, joints, pelvis and heart, where it is less useful, its role in cancer care and how results work.
CT
Can a CT Scan Detect Lung Cancer?
How a CT scan for lung cancer is used: CT after a chest X-ray, why a biopsy is needed, NHS lung screening, what happens with nodules and the radiation dose.
Ultrasound
Sonogram vs Ultrasound: What Is the Difference?
Is a sonogram the same as an ultrasound? What the word sonogram means, what a sonographer does, the main types of ultrasound scan and why they use no radiation.
DEXA
DEXA Scan Cost in the UK: NHS and Private Routes
DEXA scan cost in the UK explained: when a bone density scan is free on the NHS, what drives private prices, referral rules and what to ask a clinic.
Guide
How Long Does an Echocardiogram Take?
How long does an echocardiogram take? Timings for a standard echo, TOE and stress echo, what happens, echo vs ECG, self-referral and private echo costs.
DEXA
Can a DEXA Scan Show Cancer?
A DEXA scan measures bone density, not cancer. What it shows, which scans look for cancer in bone, and why people with cancer are sometimes offered one.
Guide
Radiographer vs Radiologist: Who Does What
Radiographers carry out your scan; radiologists are doctors who interpret images. How each is trained and regulated in the UK, and who you will meet.
MRI
MRI Scan for the Ears: What an IAM Scan Looks For
An MRI of the internal auditory meati checks the hearing and balance nerves, usually for one-sided hearing loss or tinnitus. When NICE recommends it.
MRI
Will an MRI Show Nerve Damage?
MRI shows nerves being pressed on in the spine, but most peripheral nerve damage is diagnosed with nerve conduction tests. Which test answers which question.
X-ray
What Can a Chest X-ray Show?
A chest X-ray shows the lungs, heart outline and ribs. What it can pick up, what it can miss, when NICE recommends one, and when CT is needed instead.
MRI
Why Are MRI Scans So Expensive?
Why MRI scans cost what they do: the scanner, helium and power, trained staff, reporting, contrast and the areas scanned, and why prices differ between clinics.
MRI
Lesions on a Brain MRI: What They Can Mean
What lesions or white matter hyperintensities on a brain MRI report can mean, from small vessel change to migraine and MS, and why to ask your doctor.
MRI
Types of MRI Scanner Explained
The main types of MRI scanner explained: closed, wide-bore, open and upright, plus 1.5T vs 3T field strength, who each tends to suit and what to ask a clinic.
MRI
Why Is an MRI So Loud?
Why MRI scanners bang, knock and buzz, how loud they can get, how ear plugs and headphones protect you, and what children and parents can expect during a scan.
MRI
MRI vs fMRI: What Is the Difference?
MRI vs fMRI explained: a standard MRI shows structure, while functional MRI shows which brain areas are active. Where fMRI is used and why it is specialist.
Ultrasound
Liver Ultrasound: What It Shows
What a liver ultrasound looks at, what a result such as fatty liver means according to the NHS, how gallstones fit in, and next steps to take with your GP.
CT
What Are the Most Common Reasons for a CT Scan?
Why CT scans are used: injuries, sudden tummy pain, cancer, suspected stroke and chest problems. How referral works and what the radiation dose means.
Guide
How to Get Your Scan Images and Report
How to get copies of your scan report and images, why private results may not show in the NHS App, your right of access, and how to share results with your GP.
CT
CT Abdomen and Pelvis Explained
What a CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis shows, why contrast drinks and injections are used, how to prepare, the radiation dose and how UK referral works.
MRI
Can Endometriosis Show on an MRI?
Can endometriosis show on an MRI? How NICE says ultrasound, MRI and laparoscopy are used, what a normal scan does and does not mean, and when to see a GP.
Ultrasound
What Can an Ultrasound Detect?
What an ultrasound scan can show in the abdomen, pelvis, thyroid, blood vessels and muscles, what it cannot see through, and how private referral works.
DEXA
Osteoporosis Symptoms and Signs, and Where a DEXA Scan Fits
Osteoporosis often has no symptoms until a bone breaks. The signs to watch for, the main risk factors, who is offered a DEXA scan and how UK referral works.
Guide
MRI vs CT Scan: Which One Do You Need?
What MRI and CT each show well, how long they take, radiation and safety differences, and how a clinician decides between them. Plain-English UK guide.
MRI
Open vs Closed MRI: What Is Actually Different
How open, upright, wide-bore and standard tunnel MRI scanners differ, what that means for image quality and comfort, and how to choose. UK guide.
Guide
How Long Do Scan Results Take?
What happens to your images after a scan, why a report takes the time it does, what the NHS says to expect, and the questions to ask a private clinic about timing.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound vs MRI: When Ultrasound Is Enough
What ultrasound shows well, where MRI adds detail, and how UK clinicians decide between them for joints, the abdomen, the pelvis and soft tissue lumps.
X-ray
Can You Get an X-ray Without a Referral in the UK?
X-rays use ionising radiation, so UK law requires a registered healthcare professional to refer you. What that means in practice, and how private clinics offer scans without a GP referral.
Spine
Lower Back Pain and Sciatica: MRI, CT or X-ray?
For most back pain, NICE advises against routine imaging - and a scan can be actively unhelpful. When a scan does help, and which of the three answers your question.
Full body
What a Full Body Health Scan Can and Cannot Tell You
The Royal College of Radiologists does not recommend body scanning without symptoms or a doctor referral. What these scans find, what they miss, and the overdiagnosis problem.
CT
How Much Does a CT Scan Cost, and What Changes the Price?
Private CT prices vary widely for the same scan name. The six things that actually move the number - body areas, contrast, reporting, referral, setting and urgency.
DEXA
How to Get a DEXA Bone Density Scan Privately in the UK
A DEXA scan needs a referral by law, because it uses ionising radiation. Who can refer you, why private availability is patchy, and what to ask before you book.
Ultrasound
Vascular and Pelvic Ultrasound: Which Scan Answers Which Question
Vascular and pelvic ultrasound are different examinations with different preparation. What each one looks at, how long they take, and which one your symptoms point to.
CT
CT Chest Scan: What It Shows and Who Should Have One
A chest CT sees what an X-ray cannot - at roughly 400 times the radiation dose. Here is what it shows, what it costs, and why screening CT is a different scan.
Guide
How to Prepare for Your Scan: Fasting, Bladder and What to Bring
A plain checklist of what to eat, drink, wear and bring for each type of scan, and the one rule that overrides all of it.
MRI
Shoulder MRI: Rotator Cuff, Labrum and What Else It Finds
For most rotator cuff questions, ultrasound is as accurate as MRI and a fraction of the price. Here is where each one actually wins.
US
Abdominal Ultrasound: What It Shows and How to Prepare
What an abdominal ultrasound can and cannot see, why the fasting rule matters, and how upper abdomen, full abdomen and abdomen-and-pelvis scans differ in price.
MRI
Can You Get a Private MRI Without a GP Referral?
MRI and ultrasound can usually be self-referred in the UK. CT, X-ray, DEXA and mammography legally cannot - and there is a specific reason why.
MRI
Can You Have an MRI With Metal Implants, a Pacemaker or Screws?
What the MR Safe, MR Conditional and MR Unsafe labels mean, what the safety questionnaire is really asking, and what to bring to your appointment.
MRI
Claustrophobic? Your Options for an MRI Scan
Four realistic routes through an MRI if enclosed spaces are difficult, with the honest trade-offs on image quality and price.
DEXA
DEXA Bone Density Scan: Cost, Process and What Your T-Score Means
What a DEXA scan measures, how small the radiation dose really is, and the difference between a T-score and a Z-score - explained without jargon.
MRI
Does Private Health Insurance Cover an MRI Scan?
Most UK private medical insurance covers MRI - but almost never automatically. Here is how pre-authorisation works and where claims go wrong.
MRI
Full-Body MRI Screening: What It Finds, and What It Costs You
No major medical body recommends whole-body MRI for healthy people. Here is the evidence, the incidental-finding problem, the real total cost, and who it does suit.
MRI
How Much Does a Private MRI Scan Cost in the UK? (2026 Prices)
Private MRI prices for one body region vary widely between providers. Here is what drives the price, and what is quietly left out of it.
X-ray
How Much Radiation Is in an X-Ray or CT Scan?
Published UK doses in millisieverts, what they mean next to natural background radiation, and an honest account of how small the risk is.
MRI
MRI for Lower Back Pain: When It Helps and When It Doesn't
NICE tells clinicians not to routinely image ordinary low back pain. Here is why, what a lumbar MRI does show, and the situations where it earns its money.
MRI
NHS MRI Waiting Times vs Going Private: An Honest Comparison
What the NHS diagnostic waiting data actually says about MRI, how much faster private really is, and the one thing paying does not buy you.
Guide
Not Sure Which Scan You Need? See a GP First
Booking the wrong scan is an expensive way to learn nothing. Here is when a GP conversation first is worth the delay.
CT
Private CT Scan Cost in the UK: What You'll Pay in 2026
Private CT prices vary between providers and body areas. Here is what moves the price, and what the quote often leaves out.
Guide
Private Scans for Children: What's Possible and What Isn't
Age limits, referral rules and consent all work differently for children - and sedation is usually a hospital job, not a high-street one.
US
Private Ultrasound Scan Cost in the UK (2026 Guide)
Ultrasound is the cheapest cross-sectional imaging in the UK and the most variable in price. Here is what a scan actually costs in 2026, and why quotes differ so much.
XR
Private X-Ray Cost in the UK: What Affects the Price
What affects the price of a private X-ray, why every X-ray needs a referrer under IR(ME)R, and what an X-ray can and cannot show.
MRI
Prostate MRI: Multiparametric, Bi-parametric and What the Score Means
NICE now puts MRI before biopsy for suspected localised prostate cancer. What the scan involves, what bi-parametric drops, and what a PI-RADS or Likert score means.
Guide
Self-Pay or Use Your Insurance? How to Decide on a Private Scan
The deciding number is usually your excess, not your premium - here's how to work out whether to claim for a scan or just pay for it.
MRI
Tattoos, Makeup and Jewellery: What to Sort Before an MRI
The short, practical list of what to take off, wash off and leave at home before an MRI, and why tattoos come up on the form at all.
MRI
What Does a Brain MRI Show - and Do You Need One?
Brain MRI is the most detailed look at the brain available without surgery. It is also the wrong test for most headaches. Here is the honest version.
MRI
What Does an MRI Knee Scan Show?
A knee MRI sees the soft tissue an X-ray misses - and a lot of harmless wear that has nothing to do with your pain. Here is how to read that honestly.
MRI
What to Expect at Your First MRI Scan
The safety form, the earplugs, the call bell in your hand, and why nobody will tell you the result on the day - an honest walkthrough of a first MRI.
About the FindScan guides
Our guides explain the private scans people ask about most: what each one shows, what it involves, how referral works and how to compare clinics. They are written by the FindScan editorial team and checked against primary UK sources, including NHS pages, NICE guidance, UK Health Security Agency dose data and the Royal College of Radiologists. Every guide lists the sources it relied on and the date it was last updated.
The guides are general information, not medical advice. If you have symptoms that worry you, speak to your GP, and in an emergency call 999.
If you already know which scan you need, you can search clinics by location. To browse by scan type, start with MRI, CT, ultrasound, X-ray, DEXA or the general guides.