About Us
The Manchester Cytology Training Centre (MCTC) began in St. Mary’s Hospital Pathology Department with a series of workshops given by Prof FA Langley during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Drs Blanche Butler, Cynthia Stanbridge and Ranji Persad (Heads of Training School), Mrs Ruby Bean, Jean Mather and Mr David Proctor have contributed over previous years to the success of the training programme. This was one of the original five centres set up individually during 1964 and has been at the forefront of training delivery both regionally and nationally since that time. Since 2002, MCTC has been located in purpose designed accommodation on the ground floor of Clinical Sciences Building 2 (CSB2), where it became a showpiece for the Directorate of Laboratory Medicine (DLM).
MCTC has been involved in the Liquid Based Cytology (LBC) training of other training centres, and laboratories in England and Northern and Southern Ireland. A joint effort with Liverpool Training Centre meant that the North West Region was the first in England to complete LBC roll-out training. Non-gynae courses covering a range of topics are now a regular part of the schedule.
Training for nurse smear takers has been going on in Manchester since 1992, when a programme of training was devised by Dr Yvonne Stedman and Jenny Davies, then based at Christie Hospital Cytology Department. The theory course was linked to a formal practical training element organised by the Regional Training department at Palatine Centre (part of Manchester University Dept of Obstetrics and Gynaecology). This course is still going strong and is a very regular and popular event at the MCTC. Close links with the Regional Training office are further maintained with the move of the regional training department from Palatine Centre to the Hathersage Centre, at the junction of Hathersage Road and Upper Brook Street underneath the multi-storey carpark.
MCTC is a popular venue for meetings and training courses for the whole of DLM, and has been used for external meetings which have included Technical EQA, BSCC Northern Spring tutorials and an Examination Centre for the IBMS Diploma in Advanced Practice in Gynae Cytology. These events also include regular and popular courses organised by the Andrology Department, which houses the National Andrology reference centre. The multi-head microscope is often used for peer review discussions, departmental seminars and occasional CPC meetings, ensuring regular use of the facilities.
MCTC is linked to the Manchester Cytology Centre (MCC), which processes approximately 100,000 samples per year, with approximately 80,000 being screened on site. MCC handles both SurePath and ThinPrep methodologies, and is involved in several trials of new technologies, including the NHSCSP automation trial (MAVARIC), ARTISTIC, Sentinel site project and a new generation LBC trial. There are very close links with the Virology Department where the HPV testing takes place, and also the Histopathology Department. Medical staff at the MCC are often involved in the training of SpRs and SHOs, with links to the Manchester SHO training school based close by in Clinical Sciences Building 1, with a regular circulation of trainee pathologists coming through the department.
MCTC was one of only 3 training centres to gain full approval from the NHSCSP at the first round of accreditation visits completed in October 2002, and has strived to maintain that standard, and improve. The centre is now fully staffed with a Manager, Deputy and Secretary working together as a friendly team. This team is headed by the Clinical Head of the Manchester Cytology Centre.
