Private CT

Can I self-refer for a private CT scan?

What self-referral really means for CT, and which centres will refer you themselves.

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

Last reviewed 7 October 2026 by Pete, editor (not a clinician). Prices checked 7 October 2026.

Not on your own say-so. Under IR(ME)R 2017 every CT must be justified, so someone has to refer you. You can skip your NHS GP: some centres have their own clinician or private GP assess you and write the referral. On 7 October 2026 those routes started from £359 to £445 for one area, before any extras. See CT scan cost.

Go to the request form

Who refers you without an NHS GP letter, and one-area prices, centres' own pages, checked 7 October 2026
Centre typeFrom-priceWho writes the referralConsultation costReportSource URLDate checked
Online booking service (partner scanning sites) (Scan.com)From £359 (the same page also says from £360); varies by site and body partIts in-house clinical team reviews your booking-form answers, calls you, then writes the referral. No NHS GP letter neededIncluded in the package price. A separate advice call with a clinician is £50Yes. Digital radiologist's report; results estimated at 7 to 10 working daysuk.scan.com7 October 2026
Independent imaging centre (Queen Square Imaging Centre, London WC1)From £420; fixed quote for the exact scanA referral from a GP or consultant is needed by law, the centre says. Its private GP partner (Gogodoc) can consult you and arrange oneNot priced on the pageThe written report goes to your referring doctorqueensquare.com7 October 2026
Private hospital (Pall Mall Medical, Newton-le-Willows)From £430 one area; £550 two; £670 threeSelf-referral basis: a consultation with its own private GP gathers the clinical details, and a radiographer vets the referralFree, the page saysNot stated in the price listpallmallmedical.co.uk7 October 2026
Dedicated imaging centre group (Vista Health)£445 one part; £640 two; £835 three; +£125 if contrast is requiredA referral is needed (GP, consultant, doctor, or registered physio, osteopath or chiropractor). If you have none, its own private GP can refer you if neededAdditional charge; the amount is not on the CT pageYes. Consultant radiologist report to your GP or referrer within 3 working daysvista-health.co.uk7 October 2026
  • Scan.com's package price includes a pre-scan clinician call, the referral, the scan and a digital report, the page says.
  • Vista lists CT in Central London, Milton Keynes, Hemel Hempstead, Salford, Birmingham and Bristol.

Each row is the centre's own published figure, read by Pete on 7 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 can't I just book a CT scan myself?

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). A referrer must give the practitioner enough medical information to decide (regulation 10). So "self-referral" for CT means you contact the centre without an NHS GP letter, and a clinician there becomes your referrer.

MRI does not use ionising radiation, so these rules do not apply to it in the same way. That is why some MRI centres take self-referrals and CT centres still need a referrer. Our sources are on Sources.

What happens when a centre's clinician refers you?

The routes on the pages we read on 7 October 2026 work like this:

  • Booking form then a call. Scan.com asks about your medical history and the reason for the scan, then its clinical team calls you before referring.
  • A private GP consultation. Pall Mall Medical offers a free one with its own private GP. Vista Health says its private GP referral costs extra. Queen Square points you to its private GP partner.
  • Vetting at the centre. A radiographer or radiologist then checks the referral before you are booked.

At any of these steps the clinician may suggest a different test, suggest you see your own GP, or decline. That is the law working as intended, not a fault.

Does self-referral cost more?

Sometimes. Add up the whole price: the consultation, the scan, contrast dye if you need it, and the report. Vista Health charges extra for its private GP referral, and £125 more if contrast is required. Scan.com puts its clinician consultation and report in the package. Compare like with like on CT scan cost and what the price includes.

Can a physiotherapist or osteopath refer me?

At some centres. Vista Health lists registered physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors as referrers, checked 7 October 2026. The hospital groups we checked wanted a GP or consultant. Ask the centre before you book.

Can I self-refer if I am insured?

Usually not in the same way. Insurers normally want a referral from a GP or specialist and pre-authorisation before you book, and may limit which centres you can use. Check with your insurer first.

What if I have no symptoms?

A centre may still decline. Where someone has no symptoms, the law asks the practitioner to give particular weight to published guidelines before justifying a scan. We cannot tell you whether a scan is right for you.

Do I need a GP letter for a private CT scan?

Not always. Scan.com and Pall Mall Medical say you do not need a letter from your NHS GP, because their own clinician or private GP assesses you and writes the referral, checked 7 October 2026. Others, such as Nuffield Health, want a GP or consultant referral.

Is the clinician consultation extra?

It depends on the centre. Pall Mall Medical says its private GP consultation is free. Scan.com includes a clinician consultation in its package price. Vista Health says there is an additional charge for its private GP referral, checked 7 October 2026.

Can a centre refuse to scan me after I self-refer?

Yes. The clinician who assesses you, and the practitioner at the centre, must decide the scan is justified. If they think another test or no test is better, they should not refer or scan you.