Private MRI scans in Stockton-on-Tees
When you want answers sooner, booking the scan yourself removes a step from the process. Stockton-on-Tees sits on the Tees, with Thornaby and Yarm to the south, Billingham and Norton to the north, and the A19 running straight past. MRI handles soft tissue, joints and the spine, and no GP referral is needed to arrange one here.
Stockton-on-Tees private MRI scan costs
Private MRI starts at £200, and the Scan.com network spans a range of locations. A clinician consultation and your referral come with the scan, not as extras. Put in a search to see how the centres nearest you are priced.
How do I book a private MRI scan in Stockton-on-Tees?
Compare first. The map lays out your options, or you can search on your postcode and the scan you need, with prices listed alongside. Once you have chosen, there is a short booking and safety form to complete and payment to make. We arrange the appointment from there, and your results follow. Referrals are not something you need to sort out.
Why book with us?
There are no waiting lists here, which means the date and the location are yours to set. Behind that sits the UK's largest medical imaging network and hundreds of locations nationwide, all of it open to you without a referral. Minutes to book online, hours until a clinician is in touch, days until the scan. Your results come digitally, ready to hand to your healthcare professional.
Preparation for MRI scans
Clothing is the main thing to think about beforehand. Soft and comfortable is what you want, with no metal fastenings anywhere on it, so leave the buttons, toggles and zips at home for the day. A gown may be provided for you to change into. Fasting is sometimes requested before a scan, although preparation is otherwise minimal. The scanner's magnets are strong enough to act on metal, so glasses, jewellery, watches, belts, wallets, phones and any other personal effects must be taken off first. Implanted devices, pacemakers among them, can require further preparation on safety grounds. You will receive full instructions before you attend. Where a scan involves contrast, recent blood test results showing kidney function are needed, as the gadolinium contrast agent is removed from the body by the kidneys.
The procedure
You will be asked to lie flat on a bed, which then moves you into the doughnut-shaped scanner, and to keep still while the images are captured. Radiographers, who are trained specialists, run the whole thing and explain it to you before the scan starts. Length depends on the area involved, somewhere between 15 and 90 minutes. Any contrast required is given through an IV. The scanner is loud, so headphones are provided, usually with music, and the radiographers use them to talk to you.
How long does it take?
How many body areas need scanning, and whether contrast is used, together set the length. In practice that means 15 to 90 minutes. A firmer figure for your own appointment will come from your clinician and the centre you have booked with.