Can I book a private DEXA scan without a referral?

No. A DEXA scan uses ionising radiation, so UK regulations require a registered healthcare professional to refer you. Some private providers arrange that referrer for you, but you cannot refer yourself.

Why is it harder to find a DEXA scanner than an MRI scanner?

A DEXA scanner does essentially one job, so fewer clinics invest in one. They tend to be based at hospitals and larger diagnostic centres rather than standalone imaging clinics, which makes coverage patchier.

Which parts of the body are scanned?

The standard examination measures the hip and the lower spine. Other sites, such as the forearm, are sometimes used but answer a narrower question.

How to Get a DEXA Bone Density Scan Privately in the UK

Q: Can I get a DEXA scan on the NHS?

Often yes, if you have recognised risk factors for fragility fracture - for example a previous fracture after a minor fall, long-term steroid use, early menopause or a family history of hip fracture. Speak to your GP before paying privately.

Getting a DEXA scan is less about finding a clinic than about getting referred - and fewer places offer it than offer MRI.

Written by the FindScan editorial team Updated 2026-10-01 6 min read

Most pages about DEXA scans explain what the scan measures. This one is about the harder part: actually getting one. If you want to know what a T-score means and how the scan itself works, we cover that in our guide to DEXA bone density scans. What follows is about access.

You will need a referral, and that is the law

A DEXA scan uses two low-energy X-ray beams. The dose is genuinely small, but it is still ionising radiation, which means the scan falls under the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017. Those regulations require a registered healthcare professional to refer you, and the government guidance leaves it to the scanning provider to decide, in writing, which professionals it accepts.

So you cannot self-refer for a DEXA scan, in the same way you cannot self-refer for an X-ray or a CT. You can read more about how that works, and why some clinics still advertise scans without a GP referral, in can you get an X-ray without a referral.

The NHS route is worth trying first

DEXA is one of the scans where the NHS pathway is often genuinely available, because it is tied to a recognised risk assessment rather than to symptoms. A GP will typically look at your fracture risk - age, a previous fracture after a minor fall, long-term steroid use, early menopause, a family history of hip fracture, very low body weight, and conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or coeliac disease - and refer on that basis.

If you fit that picture, ask your GP before you pay. If you do not, a private scan may be the faster route, and your GP may still be willing to refer you for it.

Why fewer clinics offer DEXA than offer MRI

This is the practical catch. A DEXA scanner is a single-purpose machine: it measures bone density and does almost nothing else. An MRI scanner earns its keep across knees, spines, brains and abdomens. That economics shows up as patchy geography - DEXA tends to cluster around hospitals and larger diagnostic centres rather than standalone imaging clinics, and in some areas the nearest scanner is a meaningful drive away.

It also means availability changes more often than for other modalities, so it is worth confirming directly rather than assuming.

What to ask before you book

Who can act as my referrer? If you do not have a GP referral, ask whether the clinic provides one and whether that is charged separately.
Which sites will be scanned? Hip and lumbar spine is the standard pairing. A scan of the forearm alone answers a narrower question.
Will I get a T-score and a Z-score, and who interprets them? A number without interpretation is not much use.
Will the report go to my GP? This matters, because treatment decisions follow from the result and your GP is usually the person making them.
Is a follow-up scan likely, and when? Bone density is usually tracked over years, so consistency of scanner and site matters for comparison.

On cost

Private DEXA pricing varies by provider and by how many sites are scanned, and some quotes include a referral consultation while others do not. We do not publish a single figure for it, because the clinics that list DEXA with us are too few to give an honest market range - and a made-up range is worse than none. Ask the clinic for a written quote that states what is included.

If you have already broken a bone

A fracture from a fall that would not normally break a bone is the single clearest reason to be assessed, and it is a reason to go to your GP rather than straight to a scan booking. The scan is one input into a treatment decision, not the decision itself.

References

The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017 (SI 2017/1322). UK Statutory Instruments, legislation.gov.uk. www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2017/1322/contents
Guidance to the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017. Department of Health and Social Care, GOV.UK. www.gov.uk/government/publications/ionising-radiation-medical-exposure-regulations-2017-guidance/guidance-to-the-ionising-radiation-medical-exposure-regulations-2017

This article is general information, not medical advice, and it does not replace an assessment by a clinician. If you have symptoms that worry you, speak to your GP or call 111. In an emergency, call 999.