The number of computed tomography (CT) scanners and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners in National Health Service hospitals is published by the National Imaging Data Collection (NIDC) asset register.

The published NIDC data does not cover data from 2015 or 2020, but the latest published data shows that there were 656 MRI scanners and 757 CT scanners across England in 2024/25. The publications for 2022/23 to 2024/25 can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostic-imaging-dataset/national-imaging-data-collection/

The 2025/26 NIDC closes for submissions shortly, with publication of this data expected later this year. Published data is shown by NHS provider, both acute and specialist NHS trusts, by integrated care board, and by imaging network.

The Government recognises the impact that waiting for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can have on patients, including for patients with suspected brain tumours.

We are taking a range of steps to improve access to imaging, including expanding capacity through community diagnostic centres, which are providing millions of additional tests, such as MRI scans, in convenient community settings.

We are also supporting the National Health Service to increase workforce capacity, make better use of existing diagnostic equipment, and prioritise patients based on clinical need. These measures are helping to reduce waiting times and ensure patients with the most urgent needs are seen as quickly as possible.

We do not hold information on what the median time is from symptom onset to diagnosis for patients with brain tumours. Brain tumours include both non-cancerous, or benign, and cancerous, or malignant, brain tumours.

Diagnosing cancer faster and earlier remains a key priority for the Government, and we will continue to look for opportunities to optimize pathways, reduce waiting times, and ultimately improve outcomes, including for patients with brain tumours.

There is no published data showing the number of computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners in use on 4 July 2024 and 14 May 2026.

Data on the number of CT and MRI scanners in use can be found in the Diagnostics Imaging dataset at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostic-imaging-dataset/national-imaging-data-collection/

The Government is committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to bring down the size of the list and reduce waiting times, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners. We have invested £2.3 billion into diagnostic capacity, which will provide the NHS with the tools they need to deliver an additional 9.5 million tests by 2029.

Individual NHS trusts and foundation trusts are responsible and accountable for their own purchasing decisions, which will include equipment. NHS organisations are independent commercial entities, and it is for an NHS procuring authority to satisfy itself on how best to obtain quality and value for money through its procurement activity.

Local NHS organisations have access to a wide range of procurement routes, but the Government has put in place a range of regional and national contract framework agreements to help NHS bodies make informed choices about the products and the route through which they are bought. These include NHS Supply Chain, a national body which is responsible for procuring and delivering the majority of consumables, medical equipment, and other supplies into the NHS. Information on NHS Supply Chain’s framework agreement for the supply of MRI scanners and associated options and related services is available at the following link:

https://www.supplychain.nhs.uk/product-information/contract-launch-brief/magnetic-resonance-imaging-scanners-and-associated-option-and-related-services/

The Department is closely monitoring the impacts of the Middle East conflict on the medical supply chain, including on the supply of helium. We have engaged with industry and received assurance on the stability of continued helium supply through contingency planning and sourcing through multiple global routes. We will continue to monitor the supply of helium and other medical products to mitigate any potential impacts on patient care.

Diagnostic investigations for suspected craniocervical instability in patients with Ehlers Danlos syndromes, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography, are available through existing National Health Service pathways. Access to more specialised imaging, such as upright or dynamic MRI, is determined locally and used in limited circumstances based on clinical need and the available of clinical evidence. There are no current plans to expand national provision. The commissioning of imaging services, including access to particular technologies, is the responsibility of local integrated care boards, informed by national guidance.

The evidence considered by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is available in the consultation on their prostate cancer recommendation page at the following link:

https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/prostate-cancer/

The pathway considered the use of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging as per National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance.

It is important to note that cost effectiveness is only one of the criteria that the UK NSC uses to assess the case for screening. Benefits, harms, acceptability, feasibility, and test characteristics are all important.

The average cost to the National Health Service for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans using biparametric and multiparametric MRIs is set out in the 2025/26 National Payment Scheme, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/2025-26-nhs-payment-scheme/.

Biparametric MRI scans are categorised under ‘non contrast’, whilst multiparametric MRI scans are categorised ‘with contrast’. The following table shows the price of different MRI scans:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can be taken on standard clinical MRI machines. However, whilst functional MRI requires specialised software to detect blood flow changes, the blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal, and sometimes extra equipment for stimuli, for instance goggles, it uses the same scanner hardware as structural MRI.

We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services, including MRI scanners.

The 2025 Spending Review confirmed over £6 billion of additional capital investment over five years across new diagnostic, elective, and urgent care capacity. This includes £600 million in capital funding for diagnostics in 2025/26 to support delivery of the NHS performance standards. This funding will deliver replacement of the oldest MRI scanners in community diagnostic centres and acute hospital settings, as well as delivering MRI acceleration software. Business cases for the locations of these are being considered for approval.

Capital investment will be targeted to locations where it will enable the additional activity required to deliver the return to referral to treatment and cancer constitutional standards promised, as well as considering local levels of deprivation so that investment supports efforts to reduce health inequalities.

Decisions on the need for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in the case of hamstring avulsion injuries are clinically led. The Department has not made an assessment of the adequacy of the relevant guidance.

The hamstring injury page on the NHS.UK website was recently reviewed against the latest clinical evidence and updated in July 2025. The current page does alert users to the potential for a hamstring injury to be severe and require surgery, and where and when to get medical help. NHS England routinely updates the NHS.UK website in line with clinical evidence to ensure individuals with a potential hamstring injury are provided with the latest clinical evidence.

The Department is committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services, including for MRI. NHS England is taking steps to support MRI services to remain resilient, effective, and able to meet growing demand. Over the past five years, significant capital investment has been deployed to strengthen service resilience, increase capacity, and improve patient access. This has included funding for new MRI assets, upgrading existing machines with MRI acceleration software, and supporting trusts in replacing failing or outdated systems.

The 2025 Spending Review confirmed over £6 billion of additional capital investment over five years across new diagnostic, elective, and urgent care capacity. This includes £600 million in capital funding for diagnostics in 2025/26, some of which will deliver new scanners in acute hospital settings, as well as replacement of the oldest MRI scanners and MRI acceleration software.

We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services, including investment in new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners. This will speed up waiting times for tests, a crucial part of reducing overall waiting times and returning to the referral to treatment 18-week standard.

The 2025 Spending Review confirmed over £6 billion of additional capital investment over five years across new diagnostic, elective, and urgent care capacity. This includes £600 million in capital funding for diagnostics in 2025/26 to support delivery of the NHS performance standards. This funding will deliver new community diagnostic centres, including new MRI scanners, new scanners in acute hospital settings, as well as replacement of the oldest MRI scanners and MRI acceleration software.

Further details and allocations will be set out in due course.

Data on diagnostic lists and waiting times is published at a National Health Service trust level and is available in the document attached. We do not hold data on waiting lists for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan in the Royal Oldham Hospital.

The following table shows the number of patients waiting for an MRI scan in all acute Greater Manchester NHS trusts, as well as the number and percentage waiting more than six weeks, with data being correct as of September 2025:

The national six week waiting times standard is that no more than one percent of patients waiting for an MRI scan should wait more than six weeks, or 42 days.

The National Health Service is a world leader in rolling out innovative treatments, including personalised cancer and life-saving gene therapies. A dedicated team is in place overseeing the NHS’s preparations for the potential arrival of new Alzheimer’s treatments that are approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and determined to be clinically and cost-effective by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

The team, supported by clinical experts and system leaders, has taken concrete steps to ramp up preparations across the country, for example identifying new clinical pathway requirements and assessing the additional scanning, treatment and safety monitoring capacity that would be needed. This includes options for securing additional genetic testing and diagnostic capacity including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), lumbar puncture and PET-CT scanning.

NHS England is also working with partner agencies to support and inform further research into other diagnostic modalities, including blood-based biomarker and digital tests, which may help improve identification and management of Alzheimer’s disease. We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the NHS to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services, including for the detection and diagnosis of dementia, through investment in new capacity, including MRI scanners.

The Department does not hold data on the average time taken for patients to receive relevant Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) test results. The Department is, therefore, unable to make an estimate of the average time for such results to be received when the new scanners are in use.

The National Health Service expects that upgrading one MRI scanner with Artificial Intelligence (AI) acceleration software will lead to an average of 3.71 additional patients being scanned per day in addition to the current average of 24 scans a day.

The table below provides the figures which estimate that upgrading 100 MRI scanners will mean 130,000 additional patients receive an MRI test each year.

MRI AI acceleration software enables scan acquisition time to be reduced, in turn enabling scans to be delivered in shorter time frames and therefore improving the time taken for patients to receive a test result from the point of referral. This is currently supporting the achievement of optimal levels of throughput to be achieved in 80 trusts, where 216 scanners have been upgraded.

The Department does not hold data on the average time taken for patients to receive relevant Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) test results. The Department is, therefore, unable to make an estimate of the average time for such results to be received when the new scanners are in use.

The National Health Service expects that upgrading one MRI scanner with Artificial Intelligence (AI) acceleration software will lead to an average of 3.71 additional patients being scanned per day in addition to the current average of 24 scans a day.

The table below provides the figures which estimate that upgrading 100 MRI scanners will mean 130,000 additional patients receive an MRI test each year.

MRI AI acceleration software enables scan acquisition time to be reduced, in turn enabling scans to be delivered in shorter time frames and therefore improving the time taken for patients to receive a test result from the point of referral. This is currently supporting the achievement of optimal levels of throughput to be achieved in 80 trusts, where 216 scanners have been upgraded.

Suppliers of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners are moving to a sealed helium solution, whereby the helium required to cool the magnet is approximately 0.5% of the current levels. These sealed systems will also ensure MRI scanners do not require further helium to be added during years of operational use.

Furthermore, suppliers are now replacing MRI scanners without requiring the magnet to be replaced, though this is only available for the first replacement cycle, whereby the scanner is fully replaced, but the existing magnet and helium are retained.

With regards to the Department, as set out in the recent Medical Technology Strategy: One Year On publication, the Design for Life Programme has been stood up to work with industry, the health and care sector, and academic partners to develop medical technology systems that support reuse, remanufacture, and material recovery becoming the default. This includes developing regulatory, commercial, digital, and policy environments that support this aim. The Department’s intention is to publish a roadmap later this year to articulate our relevant findings and plans moving forward.