The Snug Rhino

Just had a consult on a knee problem i have and they asked me to get an MRI before the (probably) go ahead with a minor op to fix it. Booked the MRI and asked about cost (assuming £200..£300?) £900!!!!!!!!!! For a 20 min scan!

What is it that costs? Cant be the scanner technician, does the thing use a gazzilion watts of juice to run it?

Don't mind paying my way but couldn't believe the price!

LG John

My guess is you are paying for the capital cost of the machine and also the R&D into the technology.

The Snug Rhino

but these things only cost £1m - i can only assume they are used pretty ineffecently if they cant recover capital costs!

they offered to do it then and there if i had the £900 cash in my pocket as they had no one else booked in! Yet the NHS list to get one done is huge!

KiwiGTI

The machines are cheap, several million £ in some cases, and I have no doubt they pay megabucks in support contracts and maintenance.

jjones

dont forget they have to pay the consultant to review the results.

Infractfree

Why, given that the UK has a National Health Service, should/would anyone be paying for an MRI scan themselves?

DCI Gene Hunt

Its that or wait a gazzillion-gillion years for an appointment

EVOVI

If they are going to operate on your knee I would not bother with the scan..
I had a scan after being told they could see for sure what was wrong before surgery..Scan did not show up the problem so I went under the knife which he was going to do anyway..So a £900 scan for no reason..
The scan itself is not that nice either..

Infractfree

That's **** isn't it? Hadn't thought of that. Wonder if you have to pay VAT on that as well?

///\oo/\\\

Don't you have medical insurance?

Tell me Mark(?) what is it you do again?

Infractfree

Is that question directed at the thread starter?

The Snug Rhino

I assume so?

I'm an IHT consultant...not sure how that helps my iffy knee!

kend

Shop around.
I work in Birmingham - but we refer people for private scans in Gloucester as so much cheaper ( typically the £200-£300 you guessed at)

The Snug Rhino

how? do i just call any hospital and ask to book an MRI on my knee then take the results back to my london speacalist?

also- someone above said the MRI was not nice? i thought its just a funky xray?

DCI Gene Hunt

Its best not to eat anything metal before you go, also ****-rings are a no no

///\oo/\\\

Sorry Tiggs, should have been more specific

It's just that people in the financial sevices industry are usually insured.

kend

Yes you can just ring any local provate hospital and ask for a price.
There are a couple of centres which just do scanning rather than being full hospitals.
Where in the UK are you?


MRI not particularly unpleasant. For knees they often use a smaller scanner (rather than the whole body flavour), and your leg is strapped inside the machine to prevent it moving. The scan takes 30-40 minutes, and when your leg is released and you try to stand often fall over because of pins and needles.

MRI scans of the head are more unpleasant as the machine can be claustrophobic, and is very loud

Stephb1986

i had a mri scan on the nhs took 3-4 months wait for it and then 3 months for the results. the thing with the mri scans are really noisy and i could hardly breathe it was that close to my face, i suppose it wont really matter as its on your knee i had mine on my brain

stevem2k

I went to sleep last time I was in a MRI scanner

It's more than the capital cost of the machine, the engineering around it is very expensive ( you need a faraday cage , building changes to support the kit ) , the 'technician' as you refer to them is a Diagnostic Radiographer ( 3 years basic training + 2 years MRI , probably Senior level++) . So it's 4-5 million to put a modern scanner into operation, plus the ongoing costs in support and maintenence, plus people costs .

My wife is on the project team for the new 3T scanner at the Royal Marsden.

Chelspeed

And don't they use liquid helium to cool the superconducting magnets? With all this global warming must cost a fortune in refrigeration costs.

jjones

you can book an mri scan as long as you have a doctors referral.

The Snug Rhino

are they? i'm not


Will call round in the morning - see if i can grab a bargain!

Deep Singh

Tiggs that is too expensive. The rate afair in the private hospital where I practice is circa £500. That should include the radiologists fee for reporting the scan.

Ignore the previous post about not having one if you need surgery. Its essential, it may show you don't need surgery or may show up multiple issues so the surgeon will actually direct his/her attentions to those areas when under the knife.

Where in London are you?

The Snug Rhino

I'm in Reading, Berks - i went to london as the rhemotologist i am seeing is based there (and i need to go there as she is very good)

Happy to have the scan - i have osgood schlatters (or had it as a kid) and its still causing problems....its 60% likley i need the op before the physio.

Deep Singh

Tiggs let me know the best price you get. I'll confirm the price at 'my' place. It maybe worth a trip to ELondon/Essex if you're gonna save £400

The Snug Rhino

cool - will do

Dunk

iTrader: (1)

Local options that I'm aware of are:
RBH
Capio at Coley has its own
BUPA Castle Hill has a mobile unit once a week/fortnight

Give 'em a ring

D

gaz-cole

im due my fourth scan of my head in a month or so i have been told and each time i dread it even more than the last but as said seems to be abit on the expensive side but if you need it you dont mind paying!

kend

Although its a long drive - there is one unit in Plymouth who do knee MRI for £250 including reporting, and another in Gloucester at £275 ish ( I can't lay my hands on contact details for this - my secretary is trying to find)
Other alternative is Germany! Lots of the clinics there will do scans for £250ish, and will collect you from and return you to the airport into the bargain