Private CT

Do I need a referral for a private CT scan?

Who can refer you for a private CT scan, and why the law requires a referral.

  • England
  • Independent
  • Not a clinic
  • Not the NHS

Last reviewed 5 October 2026 by Pete, editor (not a clinician). Prices checked 5 October 2026.

Yes. Under IR(ME)R 2017 every CT needs a referral and must be justified. Some centres have their own clinician refer you; many want a GP or specialist letter. On 5 October 2026, one-area prices ran from £359 to £873; the report was not always included. NHS England DM01, July 2026: 9.9% of CT waiters had waited six weeks or more.

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Referral rules and prices for one-area private CT, centres' own pages, checked 5 October 2026
Centre typeFrom-priceContrast extraReport includedReferral ruleSource URLDate checked
Online booking service (partner scanning sites) (Scan.com)From £359 (the same page also says from £360); varies by site and body partNot statedYes. Digital radiologist's report; results estimated at 7 to 10 working daysNo GP letter needed. Its own clinicians assess you and write the referraluk.scan.com5 October 2026
Independent imaging centre (Queen Square Imaging Centre, London WC1)From £420; fixed quote for the exact scanNot statedReport to your referring doctor within 1 working day; the page does not say whether it is in the from-priceReferral from a GP or consultant needed by law, the centre says. A partner private GP service can referqueensquare.com5 October 2026
Private hospital (Pall Mall Medical, Newton-le-Willows)From £430 one area; £550 two; £670 threeNot priced on the pageNot stated. The page says a radiologist reviews the images and a private GP calls you with resultsNo NHS GP letter needed. A free consultation with its own private GP creates the referral, which a radiographer vetspallmallmedical.co.uk5 October 2026
Dedicated imaging centre group (Vista Health)£445 one part; £640 two; £835 three+£125 if contrast is requiredYes. Consultant radiologist report to your GP or referrer within 3 working daysReferral needed (GP, consultant, doctor, or registered physio, osteopath or chiropractor). Its own private GP can refer, for an extra chargevista-health.co.uk5 October 2026
Hospital group (Nuffield Health Warwickshire Hospital, Leamington Spa)Guide price £562 one partNot statedNot stated on this pageReferral letter from a GP or consultant needed before bookingnuffieldhealth.com5 October 2026
Hospital group (Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital)Guide price £650 one partNot statedResults sent to your referrer within a week; the page calls its prices all-inclusiveReferral from a healthcare professional needednuffieldhealth.com5 October 2026
Hospital group (Nuffield Health Leeds Hospital)£873 one area; £1,091 two; £1,373 three (guide)+£152 (one area with contrast £1,020)Not stated on this pageImaging referral from a GP or consultant needed; no self-referral. A consultant appointment there costs about £200nuffieldhealth.com5 October 2026
  • Vista lists CT in Central London, Milton Keynes, Hemel Hempstead, Salford, Birmingham and Bristol.
  • Nuffield Health calls these guide prices; it gives a final price once your referral has been reviewed.

Each row is the centre's own published figure, read by Pete on 5 October 2026. We list rows in price order, not as a ranking. We do not average prices. A centre can change a price at any time; its own quote is what counts. We delete a row we cannot re-check. A listed centre is not a partner of ours. Full list on Sources.

What should you know before you ask for a CT?

This is not medical advice. We cannot tell you whether you need a CT scan. CT uses ionising radiation, so the law says every scan must be justified: a practitioner at the centre must decide the benefit outweighs the risk, using the details your referrer supplies (IR(ME)R 2017). No centre can promise a scan without that check, and a centre can say no. Some centres ask their own clinician to confirm the scan is appropriate. Many still want a letter from your GP or a specialist.

Insured scans need a referral and pre-authorisation from your insurer before you book. Contrast dye is often extra and is not for everyone. A centre may ask for a kidney-function blood test first, and you should tell it about allergies, kidney problems or diabetes medicine.

Chest pain, sudden shortness of breath, signs of a stroke, a head injury, or coughing up blood are not for this website or its form. Call 999.

How do you get a private CT scan in four steps?

  1. Body area. Name the one area to be scanned. Each extra area usually costs more.
  2. Referral rule. Check who will refer you: your GP or specialist, or the centre's own clinician. Read referral.
  3. What the price includes. Ask whether the report, contrast and any consultation are in the price. See cost.
  4. Ask one centre to contact you. Use the form. Nothing is booked until you agree a time and price with the centre.

Why does a CT scan need a referral?

CT uses ionising radiation. The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017 say a person must not carry out an exposure unless a practitioner has justified it as showing a sufficient net benefit (regulation 11). The referrer must give the practitioner enough medical information to decide (regulation 10). The Care Quality Commission enforces these rules in England, in the independent sector as well as the NHS. Our sources are on Sources.

So no centre can promise a CT just because you ask and pay. A centre that says "no GP referral needed" still has a referrer: its own clinician.

Who can refer me for a private CT scan?

It depends on the centre. On the pages we read on 5 October 2026:

  • Your GP or a specialist. Nuffield Health Warwickshire and Leeds want a GP or consultant referral. Queen Square says the law requires a referral from a GP or consultant.
  • A wider list of professionals. Vista Health accepts a referral from a GP, consultant or doctor, or a registered physiotherapist, osteopath or chiropractor.
  • The centre's own clinician. Scan.com's clinicians assess you and write the referral. Pall Mall Medical offers a free consultation with its own private GP.
  • A private GP for a fee. Vista Health and Queen Square point to private GP services if you have no letter.

Can a centre refuse to scan me?

Yes. If the practitioner decides the benefit does not outweigh the risk, or that another test with less or no radiation would answer the question, they should not justify the scan. Where someone has no symptoms, the law asks the practitioner to give particular weight to published guidelines.

What about insurance?

Insured scans need a referral and pre-authorisation from your insurer before you book. Your insurer may also limit which centres you can use.

Can I use a private scan report with my NHS doctor?

Ask your NHS doctor. Some accept a private report; some want their own imaging. A private scan does not usually move you up an NHS waiting list for treatment.

Can I self-refer for a CT scan?

Not in the way you might for some MRI scans. Every CT must be justified under IR(ME)R. Some centres have their own clinician assess you and write the referral, which can be quick. Many still want a GP or specialist letter.

Does a physiotherapist's referral count?

At some centres. Vista Health lists registered physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors as referrers, checked 5 October 2026. Hospital groups we checked wanted a GP or consultant.

Do insured CT scans need a referral?

Yes. Insured scans need a referral and pre-authorisation from your insurer before you book.