Private X-Ray Bristol (2026): Cost From £100, Where to Go and the NHS Walk-In Option
A private X-ray in Bristol costs £150 per area at Spire Bristol and £100 per region through The Hanham Clinic, with Nuffield Health Bristol quoting on enquiry, and results in about five working days. Every private provider needs a referral, which a private GP can issue the same day. And if your own GP has requested it, Bristol has something most cities do not: an NHS walk-in X-ray at South Bristol Community Hospital. Here is where to get an X-ray in Bristol, what it costs and how fast.
Quick Answer
Private X-ray in Bristol: Spire Bristol Hospital (Redland Hill) charges £150 for one area including the report; Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, The Chesterfield (Clifton Hill), quotes on enquiry; both need a GP or consultant referral and report within five working days. The Hanham Clinic arranges X-rays locally at £100 per region after a consultation. No Bristol provider offers a private walk-in or no-referral X-ray; a private GP in Bristol can refer you the same day.
NHS in Bristol: with an electronic request from your GP, South Bristol Community Hospital runs a walk-in plain X-ray service Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, usually a 20-minute wait; the Bristol Royal Infirmary department can also be used. Southmead and Cossham are appointment-only through InHealth. For prices across the country see private X-ray cost UK.
On this page
- Private X-ray cost in Bristol
- Where to get a private X-ray in Bristol
- X-ray without a referral in Bristol
- NHS X-ray departments and the walk-in option
- Chest, bone, joint and dental X-rays
- What happens after the X-ray
- Does insurance cover it?
- Other private scans and care in Bristol
- Frequently asked questions
Private X-Ray Cost in Bristol
| Provider | Where | Price | Referral | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spire Bristol Hospital | Redland Hill, Durdham Down, BS6 6UT | £150 per area | GP or consultant referral required | Report within 5 working days |
| Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital (The Chesterfield) | 3 Clifton Hill, Clifton, BS8 1BN | On enquiry | Healthcare professional referral required | Verified by a radiologist within 5 days, sent to your referrer within a week |
| The Hanham Clinic (referral service) | Hanham Hall, Whittucks Road, BS15 3FR | £100 per region, consultation required | Issued by the clinic after consultation | About 7 days to the scan, about 5 days for the report |
| UK range for comparison | National providers | £60 to £250 per area | Varies | Same day to 5 days |
Prices are the providers’ published figures in October 2026 and cover a plain X-ray of one area with a written report. A second area, for example both knees or chest plus shoulder, is charged again. Neither hospital publishes a separate fee for the consultant who refers you, so budget for that appointment if you do not already have a referral. Spire’s self-pay team is on 0117 980 4080 and Nuffield’s radiology department on 0117 906 4878. The national picture, including the cheapest no-referral providers, is in private X-ray cost UK.
Where to Get a Private X-Ray in Bristol
Spire Bristol Hospital on Redland Hill has a full imaging department: X-ray, MRI, CT and ultrasound on one site, so if an X-ray shows something that needs a closer look, the follow-up scan and the consultant are in the same building. Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, The Chesterfield in Clifton, offers the same range and promises no waiting lists for imaging. At both hospitals the images are reported by Bristol Medical Imaging Partners, a group of five consultant radiologists who read MRI, CT, ultrasound, fluoroscopy and X-ray for Spire and Nuffield Bristol and say appointments are usually found within days. For hospitals further out, see private hospitals in Bristol, Bath and Gloucester, and Circle Bath Hospital.
X-Ray Without a Referral in Bristol
Bristol’s private hospitals will not X-ray you on request: Spire, Nuffield and Bristol Medical Imaging Partners all require a referral from a doctor first, because an X-ray involves radiation and must be clinically justified. That leaves three routes if you do not want to wait for an NHS GP:
- A private GP appointment, often the same day, which can issue the referral. See private GPs in Bristol for clinics and prices, and Lyfe Health Bristol.
- The Hanham Clinic’s referral service in Hanham: a consultation establishes the clinical reason, the clinic refers you locally, and the X-ray costs £100 per region.
- Your health insurer’s digital GP, if you have cover; see health insurance with a private GP. The insurer then pays for the X-ray once pre-authorised.
How referrals work generally, and why the insurer always needs one even where a clinic does not, is in do you need a GP referral for private treatment? and how to get a private referral.
NHS X-Ray Departments in Bristol and the Walk-In Option
If your own GP has requested the X-ray, you may not need to pay at all. Bristol’s NHS departments work two ways:
| NHS site | How it works | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| South Bristol Community Hospital | Walk-in plain X-ray: after an electronic (ICE) request from your GP, or with a paper request form, report to X-ray reception. Usual wait about 20 minutes, over 30 minutes between 10.30am and 2pm | Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm |
| Bristol Royal Infirmary | X-ray department, same trust (UHBW); patients with a request can also attend here | Check with the department |
| Southmead Hospital (Gate 18, Brunel Building, BS10 5NB) | By appointment: GP sends an e-referral to North Bristol NHS Trust and the InHealth booking team contacts you | Monday to Friday, 8.15am to 4.30pm |
| Cossham Hospital (BS15 1LF) | By appointment, as Southmead; appointment line 0117 414 5175 | Monday to Friday, 8.15am to 4.30pm |
The NHS X-ray itself is usually quick; the wait is for the GP appointment before it and the report and follow-up after it. The Nuffield Trust reported that 1 in 4 patients had waited six weeks or more for an NHS diagnostic test in January 2026, and it is the follow-up scan or the specialist, rather than the X-ray, that usually takes months. That is where most people in Bristol go private: see NHS waiting times and your options and mixing NHS and private treatment.
Chest, Bone, Joint and Dental X-Rays
Bone and joint X-rays (knee, hip, shoulder, hand, foot, spine) are the commonest private request, usually after an injury, often from running, racquet sports or the gym, or for arthritis, and are priced per area. Active people who want injuries seen quickly are the reason our David Lloyd Bristol guide covers injury cover alongside the club. A chest X-ray is a single area, often requested for a persistent cough or before surgery. Abdominal X-rays are less common privately because ultrasound or CT usually answers the question better. Dental and panoramic (OPG) X-rays are taken by dentists, not hospital radiology, so ask your practice. If the question is really about soft tissue, a ligament, a tendon or an organ, the right test is often an ultrasound or MRI rather than an X-ray, and for bone density it is a DEXA scan.
What Happens After the X-Ray
A radiologist reports the images, in Bristol within about five working days, and the report goes to whoever referred you. Three outcomes are common: nothing to act on; a finding that needs a closer look with MRI, CT or ultrasound; or a referral to a specialist, for example orthopaedics for a joint or a respiratory consultant for a chest finding. If it leads to an operation, the private surgery hub has published prices. See how long private results take.
Does Insurance Cover a Private X-Ray in Bristol?
Covered: an X-ray to investigate new symptoms, referred by a GP or consultant, pre-authorised, and within your outpatient limit. Spire Bristol and Nuffield Health Bristol are on most insurers’ hospital lists. Not covered: an X-ray you booked and paid for yourself, and anything for a condition you had before the policy started. The order is referral, pre-authorisation, then booking. See does health insurance cover diagnostics?, pre-existing conditions and, for the self-pay versus cover decision, insurance or self-pay?
Other Private Scans and Care in Bristol
- Scans and tests: MRI, CT scan, ultrasound, DEXA scan, mammogram, blood tests and colonoscopy in Bristol.
- Doctors and hospitals: private GPs in Bristol, private hospitals in Bristol, Spire Bristol, Nuffield Health Bristol, and nearby private GPs in Bath and hospitals in Bath.
- X-rays elsewhere: London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, and every scan in the scans and tests hub.
FAQs: Private X-Ray Bristol (2026)
How much does a private X-ray cost in Bristol?
Spire Bristol Hospital lists a plain X-ray of one area at £150, with the radiologist’s report included. The Hanham Clinic arranges private X-rays locally at £100 per region after a consultation. Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital (The Chesterfield) quotes on enquiry. Nationally, private X-rays run from about £60 to £250 per area, so Bristol sits in the middle of the range. Extra areas are charged separately.
Can I get a private X-ray in Bristol without a referral?
Not directly: Spire Bristol, Nuffield Health Bristol and Bristol Medical Imaging Partners all require a referral from a GP or consultant before booking an X-ray. The quickest route without an NHS GP is a private GP appointment in Bristol, often the same day, which can issue the referral; The Hanham Clinic offers a consultation-and-referral service for exactly this. Some national no-referral scan providers cover X-ray in other cities, so check our private X-ray cost guide if you can travel.
Is there a walk-in X-ray in Bristol?
Yes, on the NHS. South Bristol Community Hospital runs a walk-in plain X-ray service Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, for patients whose GP has sent an electronic request (or given them a paper form): report to the X-ray reception, and the wait is usually about 20 minutes, longer between 10.30am and 2pm. Bristol Royal Infirmary’s X-ray department can also be used. Southmead and Cossham are by appointment, booked through InHealth after a GP e-referral. There is no private walk-in X-ray in Bristol; private X-rays are booked after referral.
How quickly can I get a private X-ray and the result in Bristol?
Spire and Nuffield Bristol usually offer appointments within days once they have the referral, and both say reports are completed within five working days, with the result sent to the referring clinician. Where a specialist radiologist opinion is needed it can take slightly longer. Via The Hanham Clinic, expect about seven days to the scan and about five days for the report.
Which hospitals in Bristol do private X-rays?
Spire Bristol Hospital on Redland Hill and Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital (The Chesterfield) on Clifton Hill both have private X-ray departments, with scans reported by the consultant radiologists of Bristol Medical Imaging Partners. Both also offer private MRI, CT and ultrasound, so if an X-ray leads to a further scan it can be done on the same site.
Does health insurance cover a private X-ray in Bristol?
Usually yes, when a GP or consultant has referred you to investigate new symptoms, the test is pre-authorised, and it falls within your outpatient limit. Spire and Nuffield Bristol are on most insurers’ hospital lists. An X-ray you book and pay for yourself is not claimable afterwards, and conditions you had before the policy started are excluded. Get the referral, pre-authorise, then book.
Can I get a dental or panoramic X-ray privately in Bristol?
Dental and panoramic (OPG) X-rays are taken by dentists rather than hospital radiology departments, so ask your dental practice; most Bristol practices include them in a private check-up or charge a small fee. Hospital X-ray departments in Bristol handle bones, joints, chest and abdomen.
Medical and Pricing Disclaimer
This 2026 guide is independent general information, not medical advice. Whether you need an X-ray, and what a result means, are matters for your GP or consultant; for a serious injury or breathing difficulty go to A&E or call 999. Prices are the providers’ published figures in October 2026 and change; confirm the price, what is included and referral requirements with the provider, and check providers are CQC-registered. NHS service details are from University Hospitals Bristol and Weston and North Bristol NHS Trust pages at the time of writing. NHS diagnostic waiting figures are from the Nuffield Trust for January 2026. Insurance cover depends on your policy; confirm pre-authorisation with your insurer before booking. Going Private UK is not affiliated with any provider named. If you compare quotes through this site, we may receive a commission from our FCA-regulated partners at no cost to you; this does not influence our guides.
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