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Patient lying on a scanner table with two clinicians beside the scanner

Private MRI Without a GP Referral

If you are paying for yourself, you don't need a GP referral for a private MRI at LSRI. Our clinical team, led by Dr Prashant Sankaye, Consultant MSK Radiologist, reviews your symptoms and checks your request before your scan is booked. Your scan is at a partner imaging centre, and a consultant musculoskeletal (MSK) radiologist usually reports it within 24 hours. MRI is from £375 per body part (scan and report only).

  • No GP referral if paying yourself
  • Same-day appointments
  • Report usually within 24 hours
Call 0203 633 5040 Book online

In short

You can book a private MRI or ultrasound scan directly, without a GP referral, if you are paying for yourself. If you are claiming on health insurance, your insurer may ask for a referral first. X-rays always need a referral from a registered healthcare professional, because they use ionising radiation.

How booking without a referral works

  1. 1

    Tell us about your symptoms.

    Call 0203 633 5040 or book online. We ask where the problem is, how and when it started, and what you have already tried.

  2. 2

    We check the request.

    Our clinical team, led by Dr Sankaye, checks that MRI is the right test, which body part needs scanning, and that MRI is safe for you, for example if you have a pacemaker, an implant or metal fragments.

  3. 3

    Your scan.

    At a partner imaging centre in London or elsewhere in the UK. Same-day appointments are available.

  4. 4

    Your report.

    A consultant MSK radiologist usually reports your scan within 24 hours. We will contact you if your report shows anything urgent or unexpected.

  5. 5

    Next steps.

    If you chose MRI with a consultation (from £425), a consultant MSK radiologist goes through the findings and next steps with you. With your permission, we send your report to your GP, consultant or physiotherapist.

Why we still check every request

A scan answers a question, so it helps to ask the right one. Many scans show changes that are common in people without pain, and the wrong scan can miss the real cause. That is why our clinical team reads your symptoms before you book, and why we'll tell you if a different test, such as an ultrasound, or seeing your GP first, would serve you better.

Read more: Do you need a GP referral for a private MRI? The radiology consultation

When a referral still matters

  • Health insurance. If you are claiming on health insurance, your insurer may ask for a GP referral and an authorisation number first. Call your insurer, then call us and we'll help you check your cover.
  • X-rays. The law requires a referral from a registered healthcare professional. If you come to us without one, you can book a consultation (from £150) and our doctors can request an X-ray if it is the right test.
  • A letter you already have. If your GP, physiotherapist or consultant has examined you, send us their letter. It helps us choose the right scan.

Some symptoms need urgent care, not a booked scan. Call 999 or go to A&E now if you have back pain or sciatica with: numbness or tingling between your inner thighs, or around your genitals, back passage or buttocks; new trouble passing, controlling or leaking urine; loss of bowel control; new sexual problems; or pain, numbness or weakness in both legs. The same applies to neck pain after a fall, accident or blow to the head; neck pain with a high temperature and a very stiff neck; or sudden weakness or numbness in your arms or legs.

Private MRI scan prices

Priced per body part. We confirm your total before you book. Scans at partner imaging centres in London and across the UK.

MRI scan

from £375 per body part

  • The scan at a partner imaging centre
  • A report from a consultant MSK radiologist, usually within 24 hours
  • Your digital images
  • No consultation included

MRI scan with consultation

from £425 per body part

  • Everything in the MRI scan, plus:
  • A consultation with a consultant MSK radiologist to go through your findings and next steps

Whichever you choose, we will contact you if your report shows anything urgent or unexpected.

MRI by body part: Knee MRI Shoulder MRI Lower back MRI Hip MRI Foot & ankle MRI Elbow MRI Wrist & hand MRI Neck MRI

Same-day appointments are available. Prices updated October 2026.

See all prices

Call 0203 633 5040 Book online

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a GP referral for a private MRI?

Not if you are paying for yourself. Our clinical team checks every request to make sure the scan suits your symptoms and is safe for you. If you are claiming on health insurance, your insurer may ask for a referral first.

How much does a private MRI cost without a referral?

The same as with one: from £375 per body part. That includes the scan at a partner imaging centre, a report from a consultant MSK radiologist, usually within 24 hours, and your digital images. It does not include a consultation or advice on treatment. For that, choose MRI with a consultation, from £425.

Do I need a referral for an ultrasound or an X-ray?

Not for an ultrasound scan if you are paying for yourself: you can book directly. An X-ray does need one, because X-rays use ionising radiation. If you come to us without a referral, you can book a consultation (from £150) and our doctors can request an X-ray if it is the right test.

Will my GP see the results?

With your permission, we send your report to your GP, consultant or physiotherapist, so that everyone is working from the same information.

How soon can I have the scan?

Same-day appointments are available at partner imaging centres in London and across the UK, and your report is usually ready within 24 hours of the scan.

What if I don't know which part to scan?

Tell us your symptoms when you book, and our clinical team will check which body part to scan. If you're still unsure, a consultation (from £150) is a good place to start.

Related reading

Our clinics

Two clinics, one team

Dr Prashant Sankaye, Consultant MSK Radiologist, sees patients at Harley Street in central London and at our Northwest London clinic in Harrow. Call one number to book at either clinic.

Book your MRI

Call 0203 633 5040 or book online. Tell us your symptoms and we'll check the right scan for you.

Call 0203 633 5040 Book online

Contact us

  • Harley Street: Mon–Sat 9am–7pm, Sunday closed
  • Harrow: Mon–Sat 9am–6pm, Sunday 10am–1pm
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