Waiting for an MRI or CT?
Waiting weeks or months for an MRI or CT? Here is the queue at home, and the China route
In England, 21.4% of people waiting for an MRI had waited six weeks or more in July 2026, against a standard of under 1%. In Canada the median MRI wait is 18.1 weeks. At Chinese public hospitals an MRI costs about CNY 500 (≈ USD 75). There is no official waiting-time statistic for China, so we get your scan date confirmed by the hospital before you book flights.
England: MRI patients waiting 6+ weeks (NHS England, Jul 2026; standard under 1%)
21.4%
England: CT patients waiting 6+ weeks (Jul 2026)
9.9%
Canada: median wait for an MRI (Fraser Institute physician survey, 2025)
18.1 weeks
China: public hospital MRI after the 2024–25 price reform (Xinhua)
CNY 500 (≈ USD 75)
MRI and CT waits (sources: NHS England DM01 and CIHI official statistics, Fraser Institute physician survey, 2024–26). Each measure is different, so they cannot be ranked against each other
| Where | Measure | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| England, MRI | Share of patients waiting 6+ weeks (Jul 2026) | 21.4% (standard under 1%) |
| England, CT | Share of patients waiting 6+ weeks (Jul 2026) | 9.9% |
| England, 15 key tests | Patients waiting 6+ weeks (Jul 2026) | 443,200 of 1,915,300 (23.1%) |
| Canada, MRI | Median wait (physician survey, 2025) | 18.1 weeks; 12.0 in Ontario and Quebec to 52.0 in PEI |
| Canada, CT | Median wait (physician survey, 2025) | 8.8 weeks |
| Canada, MRI and CT | Change in median wait, 2019 to 2024 (CIHI) | MRI +15 days; CT +3 days |
| Australia | National MRI or CT wait statistic | Not published |
| China | No published waiting-time statistic | Scan date confirmed by the hospital before you book |
Going private at home
A private scan is faster, at a price
In the UK, a private MRI of one body part costs about GBP 249–750, and one private provider advertises next-day appointments with results in 24–48 hours. Private clinics in seven Canadian provinces charge an average of CAD 762 for an MRI and CAD 310 for a CT (Canada’s Drug Agency survey, 2022–23); there are none in Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI or the territories.
The China route
A scan date confirmed before you book flights
There is no official statistic on how quickly a foreign patient can get an MRI or CT in China, so we do not promise one. We send your request to the hospital, and the hospital confirms the consultation and scan dates and the price before you book anything. An MRI at a public hospital costs about CNY 500 (≈ USD 75) after the national price reform, and foreign patients pay the full listed price.
The report matters as much as the scan
Leave with the images and an English report
Ask when the written report will be ready and plan your stay around it. Reports are issued in Chinese by default, so ask for an English version at registration, and for a full digital copy of the images. Your doctor at home can then read the scan without repeating it, if they agree with the findings.
Symptoms first
Urgent symptoms need the urgent route at home
If you have new weakness, numbness, loss of bladder or bowel control, or any symptom your doctor has called urgent, use the urgent route at home rather than planning a trip. A scan abroad suits a planned or routine scan where the date can be fixed in advance.
We handle the China part
An English-speaking coordinator from airport to aftercare
We book the hospital, meet you at the airport, arrange a hotel near the hospital, put an interpreter beside you at every appointment, help with WeChat and Alipay payment, translate your reports into English and stay in touch for follow-up after you fly home.
Common questions
How long is the NHS wait for an MRI for back pain?
NHS England does not publish a back-pain figure. Across all MRI scans, 21.4% of people waiting in July 2026 had waited six weeks or more, against a standard of under 1%. Across the 15 key diagnostic tests, 443,200 people had waited six weeks or more. Privately, an MRI of one body part costs about GBP 249–750.
How long does it take to get a CT scan on the NHS?
CT waits are shorter than MRI waits in England. In July 2026, 9.9% of people waiting for a CT had waited six weeks or more, compared with 21.4% for MRI. In Canada, the Fraser Institute’s 2025 physician survey put the median CT wait at 8.8 weeks, and CIHI reports that the median CT wait grew by 3 days between 2019 and 2024.
How long is the wait for a knee MRI?
Neither England nor Canada publishes a knee-only figure. In England, 21.4% of people waiting for any MRI had waited six weeks or more in July 2026. In Canada the median MRI wait was 18.1 weeks in the Fraser Institute’s 2025 survey, ranging from 12.0 weeks in Ontario and Quebec to 52.0 weeks in PEI, and CIHI reports that the median MRI wait grew by 15 days between 2019 and 2024.
How long do CT scan results take?
It depends on the provider and on how quickly a radiologist reports the scan. One UK private provider advertises results in 24–48 hours. In China there is no official statistic for how long a CT report takes, so ask the hospital when the written report will be ready before you book your return flight, and ask for it in English.
How long does it take to get CT scan results at a hospital in China?
There is no published statistic, and patient reports vary by hospital, so we ask the hospital to confirm the scan date and when the report will be ready before you travel. Reports are issued in Chinese by default: ask for an English version at registration. For a full checkup, as an example, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital issues the paper report in 7–8 working days and also sends it by WeChat.
Read more
- MRI and CT Wait and Results Times: UK, Canada and China
How long MRI and CT scans take to book and report in England and Canada, what official waiting data shows, and what patients in China say about getting results.
USD amounts converted at about CNY 6.70 per USD (2026-10-07), for reference only. Foreign patients pay the full listed price.