Can Patients From Abroad Get an EOS Scan in London?
Yes. ScanAlign is a private, self-pay clinic. You do not need a UK GP or NHS referral to book. Patients from abroad can book a standing EOS scan themselves at 19 Harley Street, London. Your report is written in English. Your DICOM images can be shared digitally with your doctor at home.
Key points
- No UK GP referral is needed. You book directly yourself.
- The scan is done standing up, so it shows your real weight-bearing alignment.
- Reports are in English. DICOM images can be sent to your doctor at home.
- Payment is settled in advance, so there is no paperwork on the day.
- EOS uses about 90% less radiation than a standard X-ray, around ten times less.
You may be travelling to London for medical reasons, or you may simply want answers while you are there. Either way, ScanAlign, standing EOS imaging in Harley Street keeps the process simple. Everything, from booking to getting your report, is planned to fit around a short visit.
Do I need a UK GP referral to get a scan in London?
No. ScanAlign is a private clinic and accepts self-referrals. You do not need to be registered with an NHS GP. You do not need a letter from a UK doctor. You simply book directly.
This is one of the main reasons patients from abroad choose private imaging in London. A surgeon in your home country may have referred you, or you may be looking into a problem on your own. Either way, you can arrange a scan yourself. To check who our scan is suitable for, you can start with a free video consultation before you travel.
Why does a standing scan matter if you are travelling for it?
A standing scan matters because your body behaves differently under gravity than it does lying down. When you lie in a normal X-ray, CT or MRI scanner, your muscles relax. Your joints settle into a position that may hide the very alignment problem causing your symptoms.
Your body is a connected chain. The feet, knees, hips, pelvis and spine all affect one another. A tilt at the pelvis can create compensatory curves higher up the spine, and pain often appears far from the real cause. An EOS scan captures this whole chain in one standing image. This gives your treating clinician the complete picture.
If you are travelling just for answers, a standing whole-body image often gives more useful information than repeating the same lying-down scans you may already have had at home.
How do I book an EOS scan from outside the UK?
Booking from abroad is simple. You can arrange everything by video call and email before you travel.
Free video consultation
Start by booking a free video call. We talk about your symptoms, your past scans and whether a standing EOS scan is the right next step. This can be done from any time zone.
Scheduling and payment
Once confirmed, we book your appointment around your travel dates. Payment is settled in advance, so there is no delay on the day. The price for patients travelling from abroad is confirmed during the free video consultation; you can also see our EOS scan cost page.
Come to 19 Harley Street
The scan itself is quick. You stand in the EOS system while it captures your full alignment. No injections, no contrast dye, and about 90% less radiation than a standard X-ray, around ten times less.
Report and images
You receive a detailed report in English and your DICOM images. These can be shared digitally with your treating clinician anywhere in the world.
Ready to plan your scan around a trip to London? You can enquire from abroad by starting with a free video consultation.
Book a free video consultationWhat do I receive after the scan?
You receive a detailed radiology report written in English. It is written so that any orthopaedic surgeon or spine specialist can understand it, wherever they practise. With the report, you receive your full set of DICOM images, the standard medical imaging format used by hospitals worldwide.
Your data is handled in line with UK data protection law (UK GDPR). Images and reports are stored securely. They are shared only with you or the people you authorise.
Who is this service best suited for?
This service suits any adult who wants high-quality standing alignment imaging during a visit to London. Common reasons include ongoing back, hip or knee problems that earlier scans have not fully explained. Another is planning before surgery, when your surgeon needs a standing weight-bearing image.
- Long-standing back, hip or knee pain not fully explained
- Earlier lying-down scans that did not give clear answers
- Planning before surgery when a standing image is needed
- Second opinion on posture or alignment
- Suspected soft-tissue, disc or nerve injury (MRI is usually better)
- Urgent symptoms such as sudden weakness or loss of bladder control
- Patients who cannot stand without help for the scan
A note on MRI. EOS is excellent at showing bones, joints and whole-body alignment under load. For soft-tissue problems, such as disc herniations, ligament tears or nerve compression, MRI is usually the better tool. If you are not sure which scan you need, the free video consultation is a good place to start.
Important. If you have sudden numbness, weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, or any sudden severe symptoms, please seek urgent medical care. At home, go to your nearest emergency department. If you are in the UK, go to your nearest A&E or call 111. These symptoms need immediate assessment, not a routine scan.
What practical details should patients from abroad know?
The clinic is at 19 Harley Street, central London. It is a short walk from Oxford Circus and Regent's Park Underground stations. A few things help international visitors plan:
- Identification. Please bring your passport or a valid photo ID on the day.
- Earlier scans. If you have earlier scans or reports from your home country, bring them (digitally or on disc). They help our radiographer understand your history.
- Travel timing. The scan appointment itself is short, so it can usually fit into a single day in London. You do not need to stay overnight just for the scan.
- Language. The consultation, scan and report are all carried out and written in English.
- Payment. Payment is settled before your appointment, so there are no payment delays on the day.
Before you start a treatment, or change the one you are on, it is worth getting a detailed diagnosis. Knowing whether the cause sits in the pelvis, the legs or the spine changes what will actually help.
Frequently asked questions
No. ScanAlign accepts self-referrals. You do not need a UK GP or any NHS registration. You can book directly from abroad.
Yes. The report is written in English and the images are in DICOM format, the universal standard used by hospitals worldwide. Your doctor can open them on any medical imaging system.
EOS uses about 90% less radiation than a standard X-ray, around ten times less. This makes it one of the lowest-dose options for full-body skeletal imaging.
The appointment is short enough to fit into a single day in London. You do not need to stay overnight for the scan itself.
Please bring your passport or a valid photo ID. If you have earlier scans or medical reports, bring those too, either digitally or on disc.
Payment is settled before your appointment. The price for patients travelling from abroad is confirmed during the free video consultation; you can also visit our EOS scan cost page.
No. EOS is a standing X-ray system that shows bones, joints and alignment under gravity. MRI is better for soft tissue, discs and nerves. They answer different questions, and sometimes you need both.
Yes. The free video consultation is arranged to suit your schedule, including time zone differences. You can book it before you travel to confirm whether the scan is right for you.
Yes. Your images and report are handled under UK GDPR. They are stored securely and shared only with you or anyone you specifically authorise.
Bring them with you. Earlier scans help our radiographer understand your history and compare findings. A standing EOS scan often shows alignment details that normal lying-down scans miss.
Planning a scan during your trip to London?
Start with a free video consultation. We will talk about your symptoms, review any earlier scans and confirm whether a standing EOS scan is the right next step.
Book a free video consultationSources
- Deschênes S, Charron G, Beaudoin G, et al. "Diagnostic imaging of spinal deformities: reducing patients' radiation dose with a new slot-scanning X-ray imager." Spine, 2010;35(9):989-994.
- NHS England. "Using NHS services when you visit England." nhs.uk
- The Royal College of Radiologists. "Standards for the reporting and interpretation of imaging investigations." RCR, 2nd edition, 2018.
Written by Abbas Dhami (Specialist Diagnostic Radiographer)
This page is general information and not a diagnosis.
ScanAlign is the trading name of CoreMed Solutions Ltd and operates under The Harley Street Hospital's CQC licence.