Diagnostics (DM01) data for August 2026, published 8 October 2026 · Page updated 2 November 2026
MRI scan – Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NOT LIVE
More than 8 in 10 (86.2%)
people on the MRI scan waiting list had waited under 6 weeks (2,904 waiting).
Official monthly figure, end of Aug 2026 · published 8 October 2026 · NHS England
Short answer: At the end of August 2026, 86.2% of the 2,904 people waiting for an MRI scan at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, the main trust serving St Helens, had waited under 6 weeks, compared with 90.1% across the North West region and 78.0% in England. 27 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 St Helens, from NHS England’s monthly diagnostics (DM01) statistics for August 2026.
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.
At the end of August 2026, 2,904 people were waiting for an MRI scan at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. 86.2% had been waiting less than 6 weeks, which is 8.2 percentage points above the England figure of 78.0% and 3.9 percentage points below the North West figure of 90.1%. 27 people (0.9%) had waited 13 weeks or more.
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals: % waiting under 6 weeks for MRI England
| Month | Waiting under 6 weeks | Waiting list | England under 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 86.2% | 2,904 | 78.0% |
| July 2026 | 86.0% | 2,736 | 78.6% |
| June 2026 | 86.1% | 2,453 | 77.7% |
| May 2026 | 84.2% | 1,959 | 76.9% |
| April 2026 | 85.2% | 1,935 | 75.5% |
| March 2026 | 89.9% | 1,900 | 78.4% |
| February 2026 | 93.3% | 1,827 | 80.0% |
| Area | Under 6 weeks | Waiting list | 13+ weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | 86.2% | 2,904 | 27 |
| North West region | 90.1% | 43,852 | 543 |
| England | 78.0% | 357,356 | 16,345 |
Compare all trusts across England on the compare page.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust | about 23 miles | 100.0% | 2,134 | 0 |
| Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | about 47 miles | 99.5% | 665 | 2 |
| Stockport NHS Foundation Trust | about 24 miles | 99.4% | 788 | 0 |
| Bolton NHS Foundation Trust | about 16 miles | 98.6% | 792 | 1 |
| Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | about 15 miles | 98.1% | 1,105 | 2 |
| Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | about 21 miles | 96.4% | 1,326 | 0 |
| Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust | about 19 miles | 90.7% | 7,627 | 8 |
| Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | about 10 miles | 90.5% | 2,319 | 0 |
| Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust | about 21 miles | 86.8% | 7,589 | 153 |
| Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | about 53 miles | 79.3% | 3,718 | 127 |
| Nearby town | Distance | Main trust or board | MRI under 6 weeks | Waiting list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | 10 miles | Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 90.5% | 2,319 |
| Wirral | 15 miles | Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 98.1% | 1,105 |
| Bolton | 16 miles | Bolton NHS Foundation Trust | 98.6% | 792 |
| Salford | 19 miles | Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust | 90.7% | 7,627 |
| Manchester | 21 miles | Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust | 86.8% | 7,589 |
| Preston | 21 miles | Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 96.4% | 1,326 |
| Blackburn | 23 miles | East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust | 100.0% | 2,134 |
| Stockport | 24 miles | Stockport NHS Foundation Trust | 99.4% | 788 |
More for St Helens: all waiting times · A&E waiting times in St Helens · CT scan waiting times in St Helens · Ultrasound waiting times in St Helens · Endoscopy waiting times in St Helens. National picture: MRI scan waiting times in England · waiting times in the North West region.
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).
| 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.
At the end of August 2026, 86.2% of the 2,904 people waiting for an MRI scan at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust had waited under 6 weeks, and 27 had waited 13 weeks or more. The England figure was 78.0% under 6 weeks.
The share waiting under 6 weeks at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was 93.3% in February 2026 and 86.2% in August 2026, down 7.1 percentage points.
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 St Helens CDC, about 3 miles from St Helens.
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.