Plan your imaging visit

Yes, but any family member or friend that attends with you will be unable to be present in every room with you, especially when completing the scans.

There is some space with free Wi-Fi where your companion can wait in the reception area and we can offer tea and coffee to them. However, the reception area can get busy and the chairs are only adequate for sitting for short periods, so we do recommend that your companion arranges to do something outside the centre while you attend your four- to five-hour appointment.

Please bring the following items with you to make your visit smoother and more comfortable:

• Your appointment confirmation letter and the enclosed directions (to help you find the imaging centre)
• The name and address of your GP surgery
• A list of your current medications
• Brief details of your medical history, including a list of any surgical procedures
• Shoes/slippers that are easy to put on and take off and warm socks as the floor can be cold between rooms – we have blankets on site, so please ask for one if you feel cold
• Any glasses you may have for both long and short distance, especially for completing on-screen tasks
• Details of your eyesight/glasses prescription if you have one in case we need to loan you glasses whilst you are in the MRI scanner
• A pot and solution to store hard contact lenses if you wear them, as we will ask you to remove these during your scans. If you wear soft, non-tinted contact lenses, these can be worn during the scans
• If you wear any sort of skin patch (for example, for nicotine, hormone or other replacement therapy), please bring a spare patch with you to reapply at the end of your appointment as you will be asked to remove any patches before you have your imaging scans
• Something for your companion to read while they wait for you, if appropriate

Some tips on what not to bring/do:

• We have lockers on site, but for peace of mind you may want to leave valuable belongings such as jewellery at home.
• Please wear clothing that you can change out of and into easily.
• Please leave at home or in the locker any metal items such as hair clips, grips and watches. You will also be asked to leave items such as metal dentures, hearing aids and spectacles in the secure locker provided for you.
• Please do not wear make-up, especially eyeliner or mascara – this will help as you are required to remove this prior to having an MRI scan.
• Try to wear minimal or no items of jewellery as this will affect the quality of the images, and ensure that you are able to remove all piercings for the scans. You may be allowed to wear jewellery made from a precious metal, for example a gold wedding ring, if you cannot remove it.
• Please ensure that your underpants do not contain Lycra, Spandex, metal fastenings or jewels.
• Please remove dark or glittery nail polish before attending the visit, as this may contain metallic elements which could affect the scanning machines.

Please do not attend your imaging clinic appointment if you have an infection which might affect or be transmitted to those around you, for example a respiratory infection (such as COVID-19, a cold or influenza), vomiting and diarrhoea, or shingles.

If this is the case, please call our Participant Resource Centre on 0800 0 276 276 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm) and we will be able to rearrange your appointment for a later date.   

If you wear a glucose monitor, you will be asked to remove this at the start of your appointment and re-attach it yourself afterwards, as our staff cannot do this for you. You will be welcome to use our facilities – a private room, sharps bin and dressings – to help you do this.

We will provide you with basic complimentary refreshments (such as hot drinks, fruit and sandwiches) during your visit, but you are also welcome to bring your own food and claim up to £5 in expenses for this.

Please inform us of any dietary requirements you may have in advance.

We can provide your companion with hot drinks during your visit, but we may not have enough sandwiches to provide a meal for them and would therefore advise that they bring their own food with them or go out for food while they are waiting for you.

There is no need to avoid eating before you attend, and simple refreshments (such as sandwiches, fruit, tea and coffee) will be provided halfway through your visit (regardless of the appointment start time).

However, if you feel you will be hungry and cannot wait for over two hours, please eat before your visit. If your appointment is at lunchtime, please consider eating before you arrive as you will need to be ready to begin at your appointment time. If you have specific dietary requirements, please let us know in advance of your visit.