Key takeaways:
- In the United Kingdom, a CT scan can cost hundreds to thousands of pounds.
- NHS scans are free for eligible patients referred by a clinician, but they often come with long waiting times.
- Private CT scans vary in cost, depending on factors like the type of scan, healthcare setting, geographic location, and whether contrast dye is used.
- Transparent pricing helps healthcare consumers make better choices.
The exact cost of a CT scan is difficult to pin down. Most websites are unhelpful, only giving broad ranges.You can try asking a private hospital, but the truth is, there are too many variables. You might have better luck asking your Magic 8-ball, “How much is a CT scan?”However, we’ll tell you why the range of costs is so large and what other options are available beyond CT scans.
What Is a CT Scan?
CT scan and CAT scan are different names for the same test: the computed tomography scan.
The CT scanner is a piece of diagnostic imaging equipment comprising a table and a large doughnut-shaped unit called the gantry. There are cooling systems and generators, control panels, and lots of moving parts.
A CT scan can detect early tissue changes, including tumours and lesions that are smaller than one centimetre. But unlike an X-ray, a CT produces multiple images at different angles and segments1.
During the scan, you’ll lie still while the CT machine’s scanners pivot and rotate around you2. The imaging table slides in and out. The newest CT machines are fast, taking as many as 640 virtual slices a minute. The CT scan is painless.
How Much Is a CT Scan on Average?
In the UK, CT scan pricing depends on where you have the scan and whether you use the NHS or pay privately.
According to data from major private healthcare providers, the average CT scan costs between £350 and £9003,4. But complex scans may cost £1,000 or more. On the NHS, CT scans are free of charge for patients referred by their doctor, but wait times to be scanned and to receive results can be long2.
Note: Ezra Partner Facilities in London and Sidcup offer a Lung CT Scan at a low, fixed price of £249.
The cost of a CT scan varies depending on your location, type of facility (hospital vs. standalone imaging centre), mode of admission (routine or emergency), type of CT scan (body part involved), etc.
Specific CT scan procedures, hospital tests, and in-house admissions can cost even more. These prices are so variable that it is difficult to pin down an average.
Types of CT Scan
The cost of your CT scan will vary based on how many organs are scanned3:
- One body part - £445
- Two body parts - £640
- Three body parts - £835
Healthcare Setting
No factor affects the cost more than where you have your scan.
- NHS Hospital: Free with referral, though waiting times vary.
- Private Hospital or Imaging Centre: Immediate access, costs £350 to £950 depending on scan and extras.
- Emergency Department (Private): Consultation or facility fees may add another £150 to £300.
Payment Methods
Private options for CT scans are available for anyone looking for faster results or more flexible scheduling.
Private payers fall into three main categories:
- Self-pay: Pay the full cost directly (usually £350 to £900).
- Private health insurance: Bupa, AXA Health, and Vitality may cover CT scans with a consultant referral.
- Corporate medical screening: Often subsidised as part of workplace health benefits.
Even with insurance, patients may be left with excess fees or out-of-policy costs depending on referral routes and diagnostic authorisation.
Are CT Scans the Best Choice for Cancer Screening?
Both MRI and CT scans render dynamic images that help clinicians pinpoint and evaluate suspicious findings. However, they have different advantages depending on the application.
CT scans are often preferred for evaluating bone, acute trauma, and bleeding, to name a few. An MRI can help find abnormalities that healthcare professionals can interpret. These can include indications of possible cancers of the uterus, bladder, prostate, and other organs.
An Ezra MRI Scan with Spine takes around 47 minutes and is designed to screen for potential cancers in the head, neck, abdomen, pelvis, and spine. An Ezra Lungs CT Scan involves a 3-minute low-dose chest CT service.
A type of CT scan called an LDCT (low-dose computed tomography) is better at screening for lung cancer in patients who are at high-risk5. While a CT scan can take less time, CT scans emit ionising radiation. Therefore, they might not be the best choice for elective cancer screening of the whole body for people at high risk for cancer.
MRIs do not use harmful ionising radiation and, therefore, do not pose a cancer risk. However, not everyone is a good candidate for MRI screening, including:
- Patients with some types of implanted medical devices.
- Patients with tattoos, permanent make-up, and metal body modification that can’t be removed.
- Patients who are claustrophobic.
- Some patients who are obese.
If you fit any of these criteria, let your provider know before the scan.
A Better Choice
There had to be a better way. How about a refreshingly simple, no-surprises approach to medicine that revolves around you, the patient?
Ezra offers high-tech imaging with full transparency and up-front fixed pricing, no matter who you are or how you pay.
The Ezra MRI Scan
An Ezra MRI Scan takes around 22 minutes, and scans for 500+ potential conditions, including cancers of the brain, thyroid, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, adrenal glands, bladder, ovaries, uterus, and prostate. It also scans for signs of stroke, sinus inflammation, fatty liver, gallstones, uterine fibroids, kidney stones, and abdominal aortic aneurysm.
The Ezra MRI Scan with Spine
The Ezra MRI Scan with Spine takes around 47 minutes, and includes everything in the MRI Scan, plus targeted spine coverage to screen for spinal lesions and tumours, herniated discs, cervical spinal stenosis, spondylosis, fractures, scoliosis, arthritis, and other degenerative changes.
Ezra Scans Are Designed for Peace of Mind and Require No Insurance or Primary Care Referral
Just book online, fill out a short medical questionnaire, and show up 30 minutes before your scan appointment. Next, you’ll be guided by a facility member to get ready for your scan.
Ezra supplies comfy pyjamas, slippers, and earplugs. You can speak with the technician at any point during your scan.
After your scan, your Care Advisor will schedule your video consultation via Zoom within 5 business days. The Ezra Report is delivered over a 45-minute consultation with your Ezra Medical Provider.
Ezra aims to improve access to care because everyone deserves to live their best life and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with health. No insurance or primary care referral is required. You can book an Ezra MRI Scan in less than 5 minutes.
Understand your risk for cancer with our 5 minute quiz.
Our scan is designed to detect potential cancer early.
References
1. Patel PR, De Jesus O. CT Scan. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2025. Accessed October 24, 2025. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK567796/
2. NHS. CT scan. November 8, 2023. https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/ct-scan/
3. Vista Health. How Much Does a Private CT Scan Cost in the UK? https://www.vista-health.co.uk/blogs/articles/how-much-does-a-private-ct-scan-cost-in-the-uk/
4. Fairfield Independent Hospital. Private CT Scan. July 14, 2025. https://www.fairfield.org.uk/tests/private-ct-scan/
5. Iball GR, Beeching CE, Gabe R, et al. An evaluation of CT radiation doses within the Yorkshire Lung Screening Trial. British Journal of Radiology. 2024;97(1154):469-476. doi:10.1093/bjr/tqad045
