The centre has a strong research and audit base, taking part in numerous multi disciplinary meetings and has been part of the ARTISTIC and MAVARIC trials. Details are available in the centre’s Gynaecological cytology user manual.

The centre’s registered staff members are all fully qualified to professional and NHS Cervical Screening Programme standards in the screening and reporting of cervical cytology. All staff members regularly participate in the Regional External Quality Assurance Scheme that is run by the North West Cervical Screening Quality Assurance Reference Centre, with senior non medical staff and medical staff also participating in a non gynaecological cytology external quality assessment scheme.

Following the October 2003 recommendation by the National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence (NICE), to introduce liquid based cytology as the prime sampling method for the NHS Cervical Screening Programme, MCC is now fully converted to process and screen SurePathTM samples. This has been greatly aided by the affiliation and close links the centre has with the North West Cytology Training Centre.

We are pleased to announce the commencement of ‘a direct referral to colposcopy system’ for all women who are resident in Manchester and attending Central, South or North Manchester, Cumbria and Lancashire Clinics. Please refer to the ‘Direct Referral Policy in the Gynaecological Cytology User Manual’ for more information.

Full details on specimen collection and transportation please refer to our Gynaecological, Non Gynaecological and synovial fluid cytology user manuals.