A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus has a patient support (1) moveable on runners (2) along a beam (3) into a bore (4). The r.f. coil (7) is secured to the patient support so as to travel axially with the patient support when the patient enters the bore. The r.f. coil is also moveable laterally to enable off-centre as well as central regions of the patient to be imaged. The apparatus is particularly suited to continuous scan. The width of the central section of the coil (7) may also be variable in a lateral direction to accommodate patients of different size.