Colposcopy
Saint Mary's Hospital
Colposcopy at Saint Mary's
The Colposcopy service at Saint Mary’s Hospital, Manchester provides specialist assessment of the cervix and vulva for patients referred through the NHS Cervical Screening Programme and GP practices. The service has a key preventative role in identifying and managing pre-cancerous cervical and vulval change, while also supporting patients with vulval symptoms and chronic vulval conditions.
The service offers consultant-led clinics, nurse-led clinics, and a joint gynaecological and dermatological vulval clinic. The team includes consultants at both sites and four specialist nurses, with Nurse Colposcopists each responsible for their own patients. All Colposcopists are BSCCP accredited and the service is regularly audited to maintain standards.
Clinical activity includes colposcopic assessment, biopsy where required, surveillance of pre-cancerous changes, and treatment of the cervix and vulva including excision or laser treatment under local anaesthetic. Saint Mary’s introduced ZedScan™ technology, which improves accuracy of detecting pre‑cancerous cervical changes and provides real-time decision support during colposcopy. For international doctors, this placement offers structured exposure to an NHS screening-led diagnostic pathway, outpatient procedural care, nurse-specialist models, sensitive risk communication, multidisciplinary working and quality-assured colposcopy practice.
Fellowships and observerships at Manchester Specialist Health Academy provide international clinicians with structured opportunities to experience high quality healthcare training within a leading NHS environment. Both pathways offer consultant oversight, a clear induction, and access to modern clinical settings that support a strong understanding of advanced patient care. Participants are welcomed into a professional community that encourages learning, collaboration, and engagement with the culture of Manchester.
While fellows take part in more in depth clinical development, gaining exposure to subspecialties, procedures and research, observers focus on shadowing and understanding multidisciplinary practice within NHS services. Both groups benefit from involvement in clinics, team discussions, and wider learning activities such as simulation sessions, CPD opportunities, and quality improvement insight.
Academic contributions and awards
Our team is consistently involved in a wide range of research and publications. Explore a selection of our teams academic contributions:
Rare and complex cases
The service manages a broad case mix across cervical and vulval disease, including pre-cancerous abnormalities of the cervix (CIN), abnormal cervical appearances seen in primary care, pre-cancerous abnormalities of the vulva (VIN), vulval skin conditions such as lichen sclerosus and lichen planus, dermatological vulval problems, and vulvodynia.
Complexity for visiting clinicians to observe may include assessment of abnormal cervical smear results, colposcopic biopsy and documentation, surveillance decisions, outpatient treatment planning, joint gynaecology-dermatology input for vulval disease, patient counselling about cancer risk and treatment implications, and post-treatment follow-up pathways.
Treatment exposure may include observation of outpatient treatment approaches such as LLETZ, laser ablation and cold coagulation/ball diathermy, subject to clinic configuration, consent, governance and the visitor’s approved scope.
Why Manchester?
Manchester is a city of innovation and progress, renowned as the world’s first industrial city and still leading in science, healthcare, and technology. With excellent transport links and a vibrant, multicultural atmosphere, it offers an inclusive environment for learning and professional growth.
Beyond your placement, Manchester offers something for everyone - from watching the iconic Manchester derby to exploring world-class museums and galleries. With vibrant music, sport, and culture, the city truly has it all. Combining heritage and modernity, it creates a unique setting for personal enrichment and memorable experiences whilst you develop professionally.
Meet our expert supervisors
Our team consists of highly qualified and motivated professionals, who are all experts in their field. With many years of experience in the industry, they have the expertise to provide comprehensive, first-rate services to our clients.
Dr
Mrinal Shah
Dr Shah is the Colposcopy lead at Saint Mary's. She is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with special interests in Colposcopy, Outpatient Hysteroscopy and Early Pregnancy Scanning and Management.
Dr
Bola Somoye
Dr Somoye is the Deputy Colposcopy lead at Saint Mary's and a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist.
Dr
Birgit Schaefer
Dr Schaefer is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and the Cervical Screening Programme Lead at Saint Mary's
Ms
Jo Wood
Ms Wood is a Nurse Colposcopist and Education Trainer at Saint Mary's.
Our signature programmes
Observership
Colposcopy
Objectives
By the end of the placement, the visiting professional should be able to:
- Describe the role of colposcopy within the NHS Cervical Screening Programme and understand how abnormal screening results flow into specialist assessment.
- Recognise common indications for colposcopy referral, including abnormal cervical cytology/HPV results, abnormal cervical appearance and selected vulval presentations.
- Observe the principles of colposcopic examination, including visual assessment, use of the colposcope, biopsy decision-making, documentation and patient-centred explanation of findings.
- Understand outpatient management options for pre-cancerous cervical and vulval change, including surveillance, LLETZ, laser treatment and other ablative approaches where clinically appropriate.
- Gain insight into management of vulval disease, including VIN, chronic vulval dermatological conditions and vulvodynia, including joint gynaecology-dermatology working.
- Observe how consultants, Nurse Colposcopists, pathology, dermatology and wider gynaecology teams contribute to safe, coordinated care.
- Develop awareness of communication skills required for sensitive consultations involving abnormal screening results, cancer risk, biopsy, treatment decisions and follow-up.
Eligibility
- The visiting professional must have sufficient English language skills to engage meaningfully in the scheme.
- Recommended speciality fit: qualified doctors or senior women’s health professionals with a clear interest in obstetrics and gynaecology, colposcopy, cervical screening, gynaecological oncology prevention, vulval disease or outpatient gynaecology.
- Specialist nurses, medical post graduate trainees can apply; prior experience and knowledge will be helpful to get most out of the placement.
Fellowship
Colposcopy
Objectives
By the end of the placement, the visiting professional should be able to:
- Describe the role of colposcopy within the NHS Cervical Screening Programme and understand how abnormal screening results flow into specialist assessment.
- Recognise common indications for colposcopy referral, including abnormal cervical cytology/HPV results, abnormal cervical appearance and selected vulval presentations.
- Observe the principles of colposcopic examination, including visual assessment, use of the colposcope, biopsy decision-making, documentation and patient-centred explanation of findings.
- Understand outpatient management options for pre-cancerous cervical and vulval change, including surveillance, LLETZ, laser treatment and other ablative approaches where clinically appropriate.
- Gain insight into management of vulval disease, including VIN, chronic vulval dermatological conditions and vulvodynia, including joint gynaecology-dermatology working.
- Observe how consultants, Nurse Colposcopists, pathology, dermatology and wider gynaecology teams contribute to safe, coordinated care.
- Develop awareness of communication skills required for sensitive consultations involving abnormal screening results, cancer risk, biopsy, treatment decisions and follow-up.
- Understand quality assurance in colposcopy, including accreditation, audit, guideline-led practice and the importance of consistent documentation and follow-up.
- Reflect on how innovation and diagnostic adjuncts, including HPV testing and decision-support technologies, can contribute to cervical screening and colposcopy pathways where locally available.
Eligibility
- Postgraduate Qualification: Applicants must hold an overseas-recognised postgraduate medical qualification (MD, MS, Masters) in the relevant specialty.
- Experience: Minimum of 3 years’ recent experience in the specialty or a related specialty within the last 5 years, including at least 12 months of continuous practice before applying.
- Training Level: Equivalent to ST5 or above, or post-CCT clinicians seeking subspecialty exposure.
- Language Proficiency: IELTS Academic with 7.0 in each band and overall 7.5, or OET Medicine with Grade B in all domains, with certificate valid within 24 months.
- Registration: GMC registration is required for clinical fellowship activity. Sponsorship support may be available through approved routes where applicable.
- Other: Applicant must not have failed PLAB exams previously.
- Visa sponsorship only through approved routes; self-funded visas outside agreed schemes are excluded.
- BSCCP training basic course and registration will be required.
- Indemnity with a registered body will be essential
- Access to nurse-led clinics will be available, ability to observe treatment clinics and patient-consent will be essential.