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.
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.
GuideA plain checklist of what to eat, drink, wear and bring for each type of scan, and the one rule that overrides all of it.
MRIFor most rotator cuff questions, ultrasound is as accurate as MRI and a fraction of the price. Here is where each one actually wins.
USWhat 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.
MRIMRI 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.
MRIWhat the MR Safe, MR Conditional and MR Unsafe labels mean, what the safety questionnaire is really asking, and what to bring to your appointment.
MRIFour realistic routes through an MRI if enclosed spaces are difficult, with the honest trade-offs on image quality and price.
DEXAWhat 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.
MRIMost UK private medical insurance covers MRI - but almost never automatically. Here is how pre-authorisation works and where claims go wrong.
MRINo 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.
MRIPrivate MRI prices for one body region run from about £250 to £900 in the UK. Here is what drives the number, and what is quietly left out of it.
CTPublished UK doses in millisieverts, what they mean next to natural background radiation, and an honest account of how small the risk is.
MRINICE 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.
MRIWhat the NHS diagnostic waiting data actually says about MRI, how much faster private really is, and the one thing paying does not buy you.
GuideBooking the wrong scan is an expensive way to learn nothing. Here is when a GP conversation first is worth the delay.
CTPrivate CT for one body area ran from about £445 to £840 in September 2026. Here is what moves the price, and what the quote often leaves out.
GuideAge limits, referral rules and consent all work differently for children - and sedation is usually a hospital job, not a high-street one.
USUltrasound 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.
XRPrivate X-rays start at about £70 and most sit under £200. Fast, cheap, widely available - and honest about what they cannot show.
MRINICE 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.
GuideThe 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.
MRIThe 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.
MRIBrain 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.
MRIA 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.
MRIThe 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.