MRI scan – Dartford and Gravesham NOT LIVE
Nearly all (100.0%)
people on the MRI scan waiting list had waited under 6 weeks (846 waiting).
Official monthly figure, end of Aug 2026 · published 8 October 2026 · NHS England
Diagnostics (DM01) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Page updated 2 November 2026
MRI scan waiting times in Dartford
Short answer: At the end of August 2026, 100.0% of the 846 people waiting for an MRI scan at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, the main trust serving Dartford, had waited under 6 weeks, compared with 77.4% across the South East region and 78.0% in England. 0 people had waited 13 weeks or more. The NHS standard is that fewer than 1% wait 6 weeks or more.
Source: NHS England diagnostics (DM01) statistics, published 8 October 2026. These are past figures, not a forecast of how long you will wait.
How long people are waiting for an MRI scan at the hospital trust serving Dartford, from NHS England’s monthly diagnostics (DM01) statistics for August 2026.
Dartford: local hospitals and referrals
- Nearest hospital run by Dartford and Gravesham: Physio Livingstone Community Hospital (DA1 1SA), under a mile from central Dartford.
- Usually referred to: patients in Dartford are usually referred to Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, which runs the nearest major hospital. Your GP or referrer can tell you where you would go.
- Nearest community diagnostic centre doing MRI scans: North Kent CDC (DA1 1SA), under a mile away. Source: NHS England CDC activity data, Aug 2026.
- Integrated care board: NHS Kent and Medway ICB.
- A nearby alternative: Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, about 9 miles away, where 96.9% of its MRI scan list had waited under 6 weeks at the end of Aug 2026.
What is an MRI scan?
An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan uses strong magnets and radio waves to make detailed pictures of organs, joints, the brain and spine. It does not use X-rays.
MRI scan waiting list at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
100.0%waiting under 6 weeks
846people on the MRI waiting list
0waiting 6 weeks or more
0waiting 13 weeks or more
At the end of August 2026, 846 people were waiting for an MRI scan at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust. 100.0% had been waiting less than 6 weeks, which is 22.0 percentage points above the England figure of 78.0% and 22.6 percentage points above the South East figure of 77.4%. 0 people (0.0%) had waited 13 weeks or more.
How long people on the MRI scan list had waited
Dartford and Gravesham: % waiting under 6 weeks for MRI England
| Month | Waiting under 6 weeks | Waiting list | England under 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 100.0% | 846 | 78.0% |
| July 2026 | 99.6% | 1,103 | 78.6% |
| June 2026 | 99.8% | 925 | 77.7% |
| May 2026 | 100.0% | 1,033 | 76.9% |
| April 2026 | 100.0% | 1,276 | 75.5% |
| March 2026 | 100.0% | 1,761 | 78.4% |
| February 2026 | 99.9% | 2,051 | 80.0% |
How Dartford compares
| Area | Under 6 weeks | Waiting list | 13+ weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust | 100.0% | 846 | 0 |
| South East region | 77.4% | 54,655 | 2,547 |
| England | 78.0% | 357,356 | 16,345 |
Compare all trusts across England on the compare page.
Nearby hospital trusts for MRI scans
Trusts serving towns within about 60 miles, ordered by the share of their list waiting under 6 weeks. In England you can usually ask your GP which hospitals you could be referred to; waiting lists change from month to month.
| Trust | Distance (town) | Under 6 weeks | Waiting list | 13+ weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | about 14 miles | 100.0% | 1,322 | 0 |
| Croydon Health Services NHS Trust | about 15 miles | 99.2% | 1,984 | 1 |
| Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust | about 23 miles | 99.1% | 1,602 | 2 |
| Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust | about 18 miles | 99.0% | 1,526 | 0 |
| Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust | about 9 miles | 96.9% | 1,482 | 24 |
| University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust | about 29 miles | 92.5% | 2,755 | 56 |
| Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust | about 17 miles | 84.4% | 5,227 | 23 |
| Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust | about 16 miles | 82.3% | 4,902 | 31 |
| Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | about 16 miles | 82.0% | 2,711 | 7 |
| Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust | about 29 miles | 73.9% | 2,579 | 2 |
| University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | about 17 miles | 72.2% | 6,544 | 312 |
MRI scan waits in nearby towns
| Nearby town | Distance | Main trust or board | MRI under 6 weeks | Waiting list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenwich | 9 miles | Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust | 96.9% | 1,482 |
| Hackney | 14 miles | Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | 100.0% | 1,322 |
| Croydon | 15 miles | Croydon Health Services NHS Trust | 99.2% | 1,984 |
| Westminster | 16 miles | Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust | 82.3% | 4,902 |
| Camden | 17 miles | Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust | 84.4% | 5,227 |
| Maidstone | 18 miles | Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust | 99.0% | 1,526 |
| Epsom | 23 miles | Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust | 99.1% | 1,602 |
| Crawley | 29 miles | Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust | 73.9% | 2,579 |
More for Dartford: all waiting times · A&E waiting times in Dartford · CT scan waiting times in Dartford · Ultrasound waiting times in Dartford · Endoscopy waiting times in Dartford. National picture: MRI scan waiting times in England · waiting times in the South East region.
Understanding the 6-week figure
NHS England counts everyone on the waiting list for a test at the end of each month and how many weeks they have waited since referral. The standard is that fewer than 1% of patients wait 6 weeks or more. Urgent referrals, including suspected cancer, are usually prioritised, so routine waits can be longer than the average suggests. If your wait is much longer than you were told, contact the hospital’s booking team or the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).
Sources and dates
| Official statistics | Reporting period | Published | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| NHS England: Diagnostics waiting times (DM01) | August 2026 | 8 October 2026 | Official source |
This page was last updated on 2 November 2026. The reporting period is the time the figures describe; the published date is when the official publisher released them. These figures describe people who were already waiting or attending during the reporting period. They are not a forecast or a guarantee of how long someone referred now will wait: that depends on clinical urgency, the hospital and the service.
Official statistics are reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0. See data sources and methods, or report a figure that looks wrong.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the wait for an MRI scan in Dartford?
At the end of August 2026, 100.0% of the 846 people waiting for an MRI scan at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust had waited under 6 weeks, and 0 had waited 13 weeks or more. The England figure was 78.0% under 6 weeks.
Are MRI scan waits in Dartford getting shorter?
The share waiting under 6 weeks at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust was 99.9% in February 2026 and 100.0% in August 2026, up 0.1 percentage points.
Can I have my MRI scan somewhere else?
In England you can usually discuss with your GP or the referring clinician which hospitals or community diagnostic centres you could be referred to. Waiting times at nearby trusts are listed on this page as a starting point. The nearest community diagnostic centre recording MRI scans in NHS England’s Aug 2026 data is North Kent CDC, under a mile from Dartford.
How often are these figures updated?
NHS England publishes A&E, diagnostics (DM01) and referral to treatment (RTT) statistics every month, usually on the second Thursday. A&E figures cover the previous month; diagnostics and RTT figures are a month further behind. This site refreshes when new files are published.