Average wait time for NHS MRI scan?

[newnamenellie]

I’ve been referred for an MRI scan on my foot and I didn’t think to ask the consultant how long the wait would be.

I’ve been stuck with a bad foot for over 9 weeks now, x ray seems inconclusive so now getting an MRI, but just worried I might be waiting ages for it 😞

I would imagine there will be quite a wait. You could ring the department for an estimated wait time.

I think it depends where you are.
I have regular MRIs (for MS) and my last one was exactly two weeks after the referral, I was impressed!
I waited two years for the one before that, but Covid was still buggering everything up then.

Thanks @Alwaystired23 and @Whiskeyandkittens

The orthopaedic department is impossible to get through to on the phone so I’m kicking myself for not asking at the appointment today.

I was referred for one last summer and was called in January for it. My mother was referred to one about 6 weeks ago now and had it done 2 weeks ago so it's probably difficult to predict

You can check the waiting times on our local hospital website, so maybe try that. It gives waiting times for urgent and routine scans.

DH had a private one done in London for about £300 to cut the wait - he's now waiting 12 weeks for the appointment to see the consultant with the results.

I had one a week after it was requested as they gave me a cancellation. Worth pursuing?

Thanks for your responses.

I'm going to pay for a private scan I think, I really can't wait another x number of weeks without any answers.

I'm looking at Vista Health, seems to be cheap and pretty well regarded. Not sure how else to choose!

I had a head mri within 10 days, with nhs booking a private hospital to do it. Dh has had several within a couple of weeks of referral.

Thanks @LIZS it's less the time to get the scan and more the time for reporting it, which I was told is at least 6 weeks. So even if I was offered an NHS scan pretty quickly, I would still be waiting several weeks for the follow up appointment.

I've booked a private one now and because the results are reported within a few days, I've also been able to book the NHS follow up appointment for the beginning of July.

I would normally wait it out, but I've been nearly ten weeks without any answers or idea as to what's causing the pain in my foot, so at least this way I won't have to wait too much longer!

I think it’s how long is a piece of string. I only waited 2 weeks recently but that was an urgent scan.

Don't kick yourself. ;-)

I waited 3 weeks

I've just waited 6 weeks.

It depends on the reason and the area. My
Mum is undergoing cancer treatment and has been referred for an MRI to see what the treatment is doing to her tumours. The wait was around 3 weeks I think.

I had an MRI scan with Vista a couple of years ago, and was very pleased with the service. I could have been seen within a couple of days but the price was much cheaper for me to wait for a week. The only problem I found was that my hospital consultant had difficulty in getting their IT system to read the CD I was given with the scan results and she had to get the IT department to upload it for her. For the sake of around £300 I think it's money very well spent.

My mum was estimated 5 weeks, but phoned the hospital to say she would take a cancellation and she got in 2 weeks early.
Getting the results was another month wait though.

I'm in Hertfordshire and my consultant put through an urgent request for an mri. Called radiology last week and was told it's a 23 week wait with an urgent request 😬

Mine came through in a few weeks. Had a knee mri

@lairyfights9, that's really not great! Have you had other tests, such as blood tests? When they say urgent, do they think serious? If so I would get a private scan if you can afford it.

Just an ultrasound so far. Consultant suspects sarcoidosis, I think it CAN be serious but I don't think it's generally serious so that might explain why it's such a long wait. Just had a look at private prices and I 100% can't afford it unfortunately

🤣😂

Non urgent it can be months. Urgent it can be immediately.
My DD had unexplained headaches and neck pain and missed a month of school. Her MRI was four months away, so I paid for it privately.
A couple years later she had to go to A&E and they wanted an MRI and she got one the next day. They saw something and she was admitted.

I've had several (i have lots of ailments!), and I've always been really lucky and only waited a couple of weeks at the absolute most.

I was referred for a non urgent one at 10am on a Monday. They rang me at 1430 the same day with an appointment for the following Sunday!! I was flabbergasted. Took longer to get the report than it did the scan!!