Private MRI scans in Derby
A shoulder that will not settle. Numbness that comes and goes. MRI is often the test that explains symptoms like these, since it shows soft tissue, ligaments and nerves in detail. Derby is a city of engineering and rail, ringed by Belper, Ilkeston, Ashbourne and the Derwent valley villages. Booking a private scan takes a few minutes online.
Derby private MRI scan costs
Prices start from £200. Each booking covers a consultation with a clinician and the referral itself. Search to compare what the nearest centres to you charge.
How do I book a private MRI scan in Derby?
There is no GP referral to chase. Start by searching your postcode or picking a centre off the map, then weigh up the options on price and location. A short form follows, covering your details and a few safety questions. Once payment goes through, we take over: scheduling, the scan itself, and getting your results back to you.
Why book with us?
No referral is needed to book with us. Scan.com is the UK's largest medical imaging network, and there are hundreds of locations nationwide to pick from. A booking takes minutes online, a clinician calls within hours, and most people are scanned within days. Nobody joins a waiting list, which leaves the when and the where up to you. Your results come through digitally and can go straight to your healthcare professional.
Preparation for MRI scans
Most MRI appointments need almost nothing in the way of preparation, although fasting is sometimes asked for beforehand. Clothing matters: choose something soft and comfortable with no buttons, toggles or zips, and be ready to change into a gown if you are asked to. Because the magnets in the scanner are so powerful, and metal reacts to them, glasses, jewellery, watches, belts, wallets, phones and any other personal items have to come off before you go in. An implanted device such as a pacemaker can mean extra steps are taken for safety. Whatever applies to you will be set out in the instructions you receive ahead of the appointment. Contrast scans are the exception to the minimal preparation rule: recent blood tests showing kidney function are needed first, because your kidneys clear the gadolinium contrast agent afterwards.
The procedure
The people running the scan are radiographers, trained to do exactly this, and they will go through the process with you beforehand. You will be asked to lie still on a flat bed that slides into the doughnut-shaped scanner. 15 to 90 minutes is the usual range, set by the area being imaged. An IV delivers contrast in the cases where it is needed. It is a loud machine, though headphones are standard and music is usually available, and the radiographers keep talking to you throughout.
How long does it take?
Expect somewhere between 15 and 90 minutes. What pushes it towards the longer end is scanning more than one area of the body, or using contrast. The imaging centre you choose, along with your clinician, will tell you what to plan for.