Your experiences with MRI scans

angliaboy

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I know this can be a tricky area for moderators so let me pre text this thread with an I'm not looking for or seeking medical advice in any way shape or form. I'm under care from the NHS with a specialist.

I've had severe back pain for months on end which has led to a recent MRI scan. I'm now at the place of waiting for the MRI results and was like looking to find out how long other people have had to wait for results following a scan.

Obviously I'm feeling anxious about whatever could happen so I just want to hear other people experiences to have a rough idea of expectations from the NHS.

Thanks in advance
 
Waited 4 months for an MRI I was in the Navy at the time, had mri on the Monday morning was operated on the next morning, it was too late really nerve damage was done but point being they acted fast on the results.
 
Waited 4 months for an MRI I was in the Navy at the time, had mri on the Monday morning was operated on the next morning, it was too late really nerve damage was done but point being they acted fast on the results.

Do you think being part of the navy made them prioritize you? Was this private or NHS may I ask?

I got the MRI appt within 2 weeks and have been waiting, only 3 days so far but feels longer when you don't know what's going on or why you're suffering.
 
No priority at all 4 months in agony, but scan was n the morning consultant looked at results immediately and I was then considered a priority to operate on, ive had mri since but surgery unlikely again as I had a discectomy and scar tissue makes it dangerous to go back in.
In my experience if there was urgent surgery needed you would know sooner rather than later, mine was only NHS.
 
Saw specialist, had MRI scan straight after, went back a week later to see specialist again for MRI result.
 
I suffer from tinitus and the specialist wanted me to have an MRI scan to make sure there were no growths pressing on any nerves...more as a precautionary thing just to rule it out.

I'm booked in next Tuesday and haven't had to wait that long at all for the appointment to come through. No idea how long I'll need to wait for the results to come through or any, if needed, action to be taken.
 
I suffer from tinitus and the specialist wanted me to have an MRI scan to make sure there were no growths pressing on any nerves...more as a precautionary thing just to rule it out.

I'm booked in next Tuesday and haven't had to wait that long at all for the appointment to come through. No idea how long I'll need to wait for the results to come through or any, if needed, action to be taken.

Wishing you all the best, the anxiety of waiting does my head in. I'm really thankful my appt came so quick, I guess doctors have other patients and priorities too I guess and how busy they are affects how long we wait
 
OP - just count yourself lucky that your local Health Authority actually had a MRI scanner at all (apparently, they cost £1 million each!) and you got the service free on the NHS.

Mine doesn't and the cheapest price I've found privately is £398.

Good luck with your results.
 
My scans have all been private, but others in the family have had scans on NHS.

The waiting is the hard part, but you should be sent an appointment within a week or two. If you haven't at least had a letter with an appointment two weeks after the scan then ring and chase. Results and appointments can and do regularly go astray, especially in the summer when secretaries go on holiday.
 
OP - just count yourself lucky that your local Health Authority actually had a MRI scanner at all (apparently, they cost £1 million each!) and you got the service free on the NHS.

Mine doesn't and the cheapest price I've found privately is £398.

Good luck with your results.

That sounds very unfortunate and thank you.

I am very grateful indeed I know in reality 3 days is not a long time to wait and I've heard waiting times can be much longer especially if not serious so I will just check up on them in a couple weeks (as mentioned by DIYlady) to see how things are going if I've not heard otherwise.
 
OP - just count yourself lucky that your local Health Authority actually had a MRI scanner at all (apparently, they cost £1 million each!) and you got the service free on the NHS.

Mine doesn't and the cheapest price I've found privately is £398.

Good luck with your results.

Our local Health authority has 2 of them close by, 1 in Warrington Hospital and 1 about 7 mile away in Halton Hospital.

I had what was supposedly a 2 part scan in Halton Hospital but after the 1st part they stopped as it was clear and no problem was detected, I was referred and then it was done about 8 days later, all I can remember was the noise was ridiculous.
 
I was on the NHS 'priority' wait list and was told it would be about 3 months - so I went to the local BUPA hospital and had it done the following day for about £1000.

Got the results immediately (spinal cord tumor) and took them back to the GP who got me in to see a surgeon in 3 days and was operated on within 2 days.

Best £1000 I have ever spent.
 
Once you’ve been scanned, someone looks at the imaging and writes a report for your Consultant. This should be done in a day or two.

If you Google your Consultant, you should be able to find the contact details of his Secretary. Unless your Consultant is big enough, the Secretary will have a few Consultants to look after. Either way will be used to getting called.

Ring the Secretary and ask about results and timing. Bear in mind we are about to enter the holiday period and many of them take time off with family.

Good luck.
 
I have had fairly good experiences with MRIs - over the past decade I have had 2 knee ops (minor cartliage stuff) - both surgeries were prompted by an MRI on each knee. Also recently had an MRI on my shoulder (someone should have told me too much football is a bad thing!).

For my knee ops I think it was roughly 5 months from seeing the doctor to being on the table - the MRI was done VERY quickly after each initial docs appointment. Results came in about 3 weeks later and the longest wait was for surgery.

What I did find interesting was in my local NHS hospital, the MRI bit seemed to be run by a private company - no NHS branding anywhere and I can't remember the name of the company but it was over the entrance to the MRI department.

As for the ops, well I can honestly say they were brilliant! Seems a weird thing to say but I love being put to sleep under GA! Its a lush feeling - the best sleep you will ever have. When you wake up you feel drunk, but nicely drunk - very chatty, very happy and a bit blown away that your last memory was chatting to the anesthetist! The liquid morphine they give you for any post op pain is magical :D
 
Well I phoned the surgery to try and get hold of him/pa as my symptoms are worsening and to ask if anything else I need to be doing.

I received a callback where he left a message saying when he gets the results he'll be in touch but hasn't seen them just yet so I guess things move a little slower around here, but I can't complain as it doesn't cost and has only been a few days
 
My spinal MRI scan results were with my doctor at first within a fortnight. It took a further six weeks to see the specialist. My wife had an MRI scan on her heart and had a defibrillator fitted within a month. I cannot thank the NHS enough for the wonderful care she has received.
 
Currently lying in a hospital bed after being seriously assaulted at work last night. Had MRI scan within hours of arriving today and just waiting for the results from the doctor. Can’t fault that at all.
 
I wanted an MRI for a spinal issue. A doctor friend advised me it would probably be pointless and just tell me my back was normal for my age.

I had it done anyway because it was something I was always considering. He was right, I didn’t learn anything from it but it did at least put that to rest and I stopped deliberating about whether it would fix my issue or not.
 
I wanted an MRI for a spinal issue. A doctor friend advised me it would probably be pointless and just tell me my back was normal for my age.

I had it done anyway because it was something I was always considering. He was right, I didn’t learn anything from it but it did at least put that to rest and I stopped deliberating about whether it would fix my issue or not.
 
No doubt depending on your NHS Trust will determine the length of time waiting for the scan and results (for out patients). I had two last year. Everyone I met told me I was a priority but it still took a few months. They also told me that getting the results was a problem too as it went to a private company then passed through to the consultant. In the end I asked if their were any cancellations and this sped things up. These delays really messed me around as I couldn't get travel insurance for my work as I was waiting for a diagnosis. The second time I needed one I was ready. I complained that about the length the time the first one took. Low and behold I was scanned and the results issued at a break neck speed.
 
Just bumping this.

Anyone had any recent experiences of getting an MRI scan (private)?

Want to get one for my knee and cannot be bothered with the hassle and month/years of waiting with our joke of an NHS system.

A quick google says the costs are from £199 upwards. Which isn't a bad price to pay for an issue I've had for decades.

Just gotta decide which clinic to contact. Which will probably come down to price (and reviews).
 
Just bumping this.

Anyone had any recent experiences of getting an MRI scan (private)?

Want to get one for my knee and cannot be bothered with the hassle and month/years of waiting with our joke of an NHS system.

A quick google says the costs are from £199 upwards. Which isn't a bad price to pay for an issue I've had for decades.

Just gotta decide which clinic to contact. Which will probably come down to price (and reviews).

Yeah you will have to go private, the nhs prioritises based on need and if you have been dealing with an issue for a decade without accessing medical help its obviously not a priority so private would be best
 
I had to have a recent P.E.T. scan. I spoke to Bupa and they advised that it would cost £500 for the scan and £500 for the interpretation of the scan. The issue was with the timescales. The NHS quoted approx 2 weeks for the scan. Bupa would be using the same hospital as the NHS for the scan so would have to deal with the same timescale for the actual scan. NHS did it in a little over a week with another week before the interpretation and appointment.
 
Just bumping this.

Anyone had any recent experiences of getting an MRI scan (private)?

Want to get one for my knee and cannot be bothered with the hassle and month/years of waiting with our joke of an NHS system.

A quick google says the costs are from £199 upwards. Which isn't a bad price to pay for an issue I've had for decades.

Just gotta decide which clinic to contact. Which will probably come down to price (and reviews).
I assume you have been referred by your GP to the relevant department at a hospital, they won't send you for a MRI. That seems to the long wait at the moment. Actually getting an MRI after a specialist referral is quite quick, maybe two weeks or less. Then the result needs to go back to specialist to actually tell you if something is wrong as the MRI team won't give you a diagnosis.

If your issue is the hold up seeing a specialist then personally I would get a private consultant done first, probably around £250 or so if you are self-funding and about 2 week lead time. Its about 1/2 the price of what medical insurance company would have paid the consultant. And yes the consultant we saw worked part time for NHS in the team we had a 6 month NHS waiting list for. They will tell you if a x-ray, MRI, ultrasound, PET or whatever is needed. At that point you can look around for the cheapest option (£200 is in the right ballpark for something like a knee) though in my nrs case it was cheapest via the consultant and had MRI done within 2 or 3 days. The other advantage of that route was the consultant then reviewed the results without any further fee, if you go elsewhere you might get a second private consultant charge to review the results.

We also saw a consultant for a different reason and to be fair to them they said the best course of action was to go back to GP but they also provided a report which fast tracked us to a NHS specialist. No shock we ended up seeing the same consultant under NHS but quicker.

I'm not going to say the NHS is a joke, they do some amazing work (my mrs works for them so probably should say that, lol) and in life threatening situations you aren't going to find better. But once you get to non-life altering situations the waiting times are crazy. Sadly its often a case of keep pestering GP for referrals and keep checking we specialists, my mrs was taken off one waiting list without being told. We only found out when GP reviewed what was happening.
 

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