MRI scans are used to detect a variety of conditions

The Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro has denied it is involved in a price war with other NHS centres.

Doctors claim they need the money from private treatment to subsidise the cost of scans for health service patients.

The scanner, which was installed in September 2004, has been under used because there haVE been insufficient funds to operate it.

NHS patients in Cornwall are said to be waiting 11 months for Magnetic resonance imaging scans.