Furthermore, I would echo the advice that others have given in that one should be very careful using Google. Your referrer and the staff working in the imaging department you have been referred to are experts in their field and through constant review of good quality literature (unlike the website quoted earlier in this thread) and interdisciplinary research, are able to ensure that the care they provide is of the highest quality. It is simply not possible in the modern day NHS for any healthcare professional to ignore this duty of care.

Yes, people have bad experiences in hospitals but the majority do not. You must remember that each individual is very different and there are processes put in place for patient's protection. The most important rule is that benefit must always outweigh risk. If your doctor has referred you for an MRI scan, then they regard it to be important to your care.

A great deal of what has been talked about in this thread is simply scaremongering. There have been a handful of cases of NSF worldwide and the link with Gadolinium based contrast agents is still very much under investigation. Speak to your consultant about your concerns and if necessary, request a blood test to assess your renal function (eGFR and Creatinine). Your can rest assured that once you arrive in the imaging department, your care will be paramount. If, when it comes down to it, you object to the injection of contrast (if indeed you even need it), you do not have to have it. It will be detrimental to the quality of the report which is produced from the scan but NO healthcare professional would ever force you to undergo any procedure in a hospital which you do not consent to.