Private Hand and Wrist Ultrasound Scan in London

At London Private Ultrasound a wrist ultrasound costs £199 for one wrist and £299 for both wrists. If the pain spreads into your hand or fingers, the combined hand and wrist scan is £299 for one side or £499 for both. Every price includes the scan, results explained on the day and a written report within 24 hours, with no GP referral.

A private musculoskeletal ultrasound in the UK usually costs between about £150 and £350 per area, and more when both sides or several areas are scanned. London clinics tend to sit at the upper end. Our hand and wrist scans start at £199, all-inclusive.

When you compare prices, check whether the written report is included, whether a specialist MSK clinician does the scan, and whether the price covers one side or both.

Yes. Private clinics can scan you without a GP referral. At London Private Ultrasound you can book a hand or wrist ultrasound directly online, by phone on 020 7101 3377 or on WhatsApp. On the NHS, an ultrasound normally needs a referral from your GP, physiotherapist or hospital doctor.

Yes. Ultrasound is one of the best tests for tendonitis and tenosynovitis in the wrist. It shows a thickened tendon, fluid around the tendon sheath, increased blood flow and small tears, and it can watch the tendon move as you turn your wrist. It is the usual test for De Quervain’s tenosynovitis on the thumb side of the wrist. X-rays cannot show tendons at all.

A hand ultrasound costs £199 for one hand and £299 for both hands. If your wrist is also involved, the combined hand and wrist scan is £299 for one side, which saves £99 compared with booking a hand and a wrist scan separately.

An ultrasound of the hand shows the finger tendons and pulleys, the small finger and thumb joints, thumb ligaments and any lumps. It is used for trigger finger, finger joint swelling and arthritis, tendon injuries, gamekeeper’s (skier’s) thumb, Dupuytren’s cords and lumps such as ganglion cysts. You can move your fingers during the scan so tendons can be seen gliding.

Yes. Ultrasound is very good at showing inflammation in the small joints of the hands: swelling of the joint lining (synovitis), fluid and increased blood flow. That is why rheumatologists use it for rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, often seeing changes before they show on X-ray. It can also show signs of osteoarthritis, such as bony spurs at the joint edges. If both hands are affected, scan both so they can be compared.

Yes. The scan shows the thickened pulley at the base of the finger and any nodule on the tendon, and can watch the finger catch as you bend it. If treatment is needed, an ultrasound-guided steroid injection can be booked at our joint pain clinic.

Yes. Ultrasound is the first test for a lump on the hand, finger or wrist. It shows whether it is a fluid-filled ganglion cyst, a tendon sheath swelling or a solid lump, how big it is and where it comes from. Ganglion cysts are the most common lump in the hand and wrist and are usually harmless. If a lump looks unusual, your report will say what further tests are needed.

Yes, we can scan children’s hands and wrists in selected cases, for example for a lump, a ganglion cyst or a suspected tendon problem. Online booking is for patients aged 18 and over, so please call 020 7101 3377 or message us on WhatsApp to book a child’s scan. A parent or guardian must attend.

A wrist ultrasound shows the median and ulnar nerves, the wrist tendons, wrist ligaments including the TFCC, the wrist joint and any cysts. It is used for carpal tunnel syndrome, De Quervain’s, wrist tendonitis, ganglion cysts and ligament injuries after a fall. It does not show the inside of bones, so a suspected broken wrist needs an X-ray.

Yes. Ultrasound measures the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel. A swollen nerve supports a diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome, and the scan can also show a cause such as a ganglion cyst or swollen tendons. Typical symptoms are tingling, numbness or pain in the thumb, index and middle fingers, often worse at night. If it is confirmed, an ultrasound-guided steroid injection can be booked at our joint pain clinic.

Often, yes. Same-day and next-day appointments are regularly available at both clinics, 7 days a week from 9am to 7pm: 27 Welbeck Street, London W1G 8EN, and 54–56 Victoria Street, St Albans AL1 3HZ. Book online or call 020 7101 3377 for today’s availability. The price is the same whichever day you book.

Yes. On the NHS a wrist or hand ultrasound is free, but you need a referral from your GP, a physiotherapist or a hospital doctor, and waiting times for routine musculoskeletal scans vary by area. People book privately to be scanned the same week, to get an answer before returning to sport or work, or to have a clear diagnosis before seeing a physiotherapist or hand surgeon. Your report can be shared with your GP.

Book a hand scan for problems in the fingers, thumb or palm, and a wrist scan for problems in the wrist. Choose the combined hand and wrist scan if symptoms spread across both, such as numbness running into the fingers, arthritis or pain after a fall. It is the most comprehensive option.

Scan both sides if both hands or wrists are affected, which is common with carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis. If you are unsure, call 020 7101 3377 and we will tell you which scan to book.

There is no preparation. Wear short or loose sleeves and remove rings if you can. You sit with your hand on a pillow while the clinician moves a small probe over your hand and wrist with warm gel, and you may be asked to bend your fingers or turn your wrist. The scan is painless, takes about 20 to 30 minutes, and your results are explained before you leave, with a written report within 24 hours.