Dr Paul Philip Smith PhD MBChB (hons) BSci (hons)

Dr Paul Philip Smith

Department of Metabolism and Systems Science
NIHR Post Doctoral Research Fellow
Obstetrics and Gynaecology Specialist Registrar

Contact details

Address
Academic Department, 3rd FLoor
Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Mindelsohn Way
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TG

Dr Paul Smith is an NIHR post-doctoral research fellow based at the  Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. He combines his academic work with clinical duties as a registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.  Paul’s main research interests lie in benign gynaecology, early pregnancy and clinical trials.  He is a key member of the Birmingham Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage team.

Paul has several high impact journal publications and has received prizes for his work including the Harold A. Kaminetzky Prize for the best paper by a non-US researcher in the Green journal (ACOG) and the Golden Hysterscope award for the best paper in hysteroscopy at the AAGL.

Paul has been awarded several successful research grants such as the UCON (Ulipristal acetate versus conventional management of heavy menstrual bleeding) trial (co-applicant) funded by NIHR EME and his personal award for the 5-year NIHR post-doctoral fellowship.

 Paul is currently undertaking an exciting body of work looking at improving miscarriage services.  This includes the creation of a core outcome set using qualitative methodology and running a clinical trial to investigate the use of ultrasound in management for surgical miscarriage

Qualifications

Obstetrics and Gynaecology Trainee and NIHR Post Doctoral Research Fellow:

  • PhD  - University of Birmingham 2015
  • MBChB (Hons) - University of Birmingham 2007
  • BSci (Hons) - University of Liverpool 2001

Biography

Paul received his undergraduate BSc degree in honours from the University of Liverpool in applied molecular biology.  He then went on to achieve honours in his post-graduate medical degree from the University of Birmingham.  During this time Paul was awarded several prizes including the Alison Thornley memorial prize and the Duke Elder award. 

In 2015 Paul was awarded a PhD by the University of Birmingham for his work on “The practice of office hysteroscopy”.  From this body of work Paul has achieved several high impact journal publications and prizes.

Due to the high quality research undertaken by Paul he has been regularly invited as a guest speaker to international conferences, such as the European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopists and is a panel member of the RCOG Menstrual Disorders (including Gynaecological Endoscopy and Endometriosis) Clinical Study Group

Paul is currently undertaking combined clinical training and academic work as an NIHR post-doctoral clinical lecturer.  

Teaching

  • 2nd year MBChB RED module
  • 5th year Obstetrics and Gynaecology module
  • RCOG hysteroscopy course

Research

Paul’s research interests lie in benign gynaecology, early pregnancy and specifically in setting up and managing clinical trials.

 Benign gynaecology: Paul is a co-investigator for the UCON trial – NIHR EME funded £1.5million.  He has also published several high impact papers on trials in benign gynaecology such as: OPT (Outpatient Polypectomy Trial – published in BMJ), and MERT (Morcellation vs. Electrical Resection Trial – published in Green Journal).  Paul is the principle investigator for the ongoing multi-centre VAST (Vaginoscopy vs. Standard hysteroscopy) trial.   Recently Paul was a co-author on the Green-top RCOG endometrial hyperplasia clinical guideline.

 Early pregnancy:  Paul’s NIHR award is for a body of work looking at miscarriage.  The COSMisT (core outcomes in miscarriage trials) study aims to develop core outcome sets for trials looking at the management and prevention of miscarriage.  Paul will also set up and lead a trial investigating the use of ultrasound in management of surgical miscarriage.

Research Groups and centres:

Paul is a member of the Birmingham Tommy’s National centre for miscarriage team.  He is also a panel member of the RCOG Menstrual Disorders (including Gynaecological Endoscopy and Endometriosis) Clinical Study Group.

Other activities

Paul has been involved with several fundraising activities for Ammalife (a global maternal health charity) including hiking Mount Kilimanjaro, cycling Lands end to John O’Groats, and swimming Lake Windermere.

Publications

Smith P, Karpate S, Clark J.  Prognostic factors that predict success of office endometrial ablation: a cohort study  In Press

 Smith P, Clark J.  Hysteroscopic endometrial polypectomy.  RCOG Book Chapter.  In Press

 Smith P, Clark J.  Future developments in hysteroscopy.  RCOG Book Chapter .  In Press

 Gallos I, Smith P, Alazzam M, Faraj R, Rsenthal A, Clark J, Gupta J.  The management of hyperplasia.  A joint RCOG/BSGE guideline.

 Dhillon R, Mclernon D, Smith P, Bhattacharya S, Fishel S, Dowell K, Deeks J, Coomarasamy A.  Predicting live birth from in vitro fertilisation; a novel pre-treatment prediction tool.  Hum Reprod. 2016 Jan;31(1):84-92.

 Smith P, Choudary S, Clark J.  The effectiveness of gynaecological teaching associates in teaching pelvic examination: a systematic review and meta-analysis.  Med Educ. 2015 Dec;49(12):1197-206.

 Janjua A, Smith P, Dawoud K, Grey J, Clark J.   Fatal systemic infection following an outpatient hysteroscopic diagnosis of a chronic pyometria.  Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2015 Nov;194:250-1

 Mahmood A., Smith P., Clark J.  The role of hysteroscopy in abnormal uterine bleeding.  Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2015 Oct;29(7):898-907

 Dhillon R, Smith P, Malhas R, Harb, H, Gallos I, Fishel S, Dowell K, Deeks J, Coomarasamy A.  The effect of ethnicity on IVF outcome.  Reproductive Biomedicine Online.  Reprod Biomed Online. 2015 Sep;31(3):356-63

 Clark TJ, Middleton LJ, Cooper NA, Diwakar L, Denny E, Smith P, Gennard L, Stobert L, Roberts TE, Cheed, Bingham T, Jowett S, Brettell E, Connor M, Jones SE, Daniels JP, A randomised controlled trial of Outpatient versus inpatient polyp treatment (OPT) for abnormal uterine bleeding.  Health Technol Assess 2015 Jul;19(61):1-194

Diwakar L, Roberts TE, Cooper N, Middleton L, Jowett S, Daniels J, Smith P, Clark TJ.  An economic evaluation of outpatient versus inpatient polyp treatment for abnormal uterine bleeding.  BJOG. 2015 May 25

 Cooper N., Clark J., Middleton L., Diwakar L., Smith P., Denny E., Roberts T., Stobert L., Jowett S., Daniels J.   A randomised trial of outpatient versus inpatient uterine polyp treatment for abnormal uterine bleeding. BMJ.  2015 Mar 23;350.

 Smith PP, O'Connor S, Gupta J, Clark TJ. Recurrent postmenopausal bleeding: a prospective cohort study.J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2014 Sep-Oct;21(5):799-803

 Smith PP, Malick S, Clark TJ. Bipolar radiofrequency compared with thermal balloon ablation in the office: a randomized controlled trial.  Obstet Gynecol. 2014 Aug;124(2 Pt 1):219-25

 Smith P, Middleton L, Connor M, Clark J . Hysteroscopic Morcellation Compared With Electrical Resection of Endometrial Polyps: A Randomized Controlled Trial.  Obstetrics and Gynecology 2014 April, Vol 123, No 4 pg 745 – 751

Smith P, Dhillon R, Baptiste M, Arunkalaivanan A.  Comparison of single-incision mid-urethral tape (Ophira™) and transobturator tape (Obtryx™) sub-urethral sling procedures for female stress urinary incontinence.  Journal of Clinical Medicine and Research Vol. 5(4), pp. 53-57, June 2013.

 Cooper NA, Smith P, Khan KS, Clark TJ.  Does cervical preparation before outpatient hysteroscopy reduce patients’ pain experience? A systematic review and meta-analysis.  BJOG. 2011 Oct;118(11):1292-301Cooper NA, Smith P, Khan KS, Clark TJ  A systemic review of the effect of the distension medium on pain during outpatient hysteroscopy, Fertil Steril. 2011 Jan;95(1):264-71

 Smith PP, Gordon C, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Clinical presentation, Autoimmune Rev 2010 Nov;10(1):43-5

 Cooper NA, Smith P, Khan KS, Clark TJ Vaginoscopic approach to outpatient hysteroscopy: a systematic review of the effect on pain, BJOG 2010 Apr;117(5):532-9

View all publications in research portal