I had an urgent ref to gynae when I had bleeding after sex that I'd ignored for 6 months or so.
I had an initial gynae app't where he had a look and took a smear.
A week later I had a colposcopy - like a smear but they 'paint' acetic acid and something else on your cervix and look at it through what looks like a big pair of binoculars. If they find an unusual area, like they did with me, they can either take a biopsy or treat it there.
If they do a lletz they numb your cervix, which is a bit painful, and then use an electric loop thing to sort of cut out the unusual area. It feels warm, like you're being filled up with hot water. It bleeds a bit and feels a bit achy like period pains and weeps for a week or two afterwards.
They check it for clear margins making sure they have all the precancerous cells surrounded by a continuous line of normal cells.
They found a big area of precancerous cells on my cervix and some cancerous ones (they called me just over a week after the colposcopy app't and I had to go back to see the consultant). He said I had grade 1a1 cervical cancer.
I had to have blood tests and an MRI scan to see if there were any growths or whatever but there were none so three months later I had a cold knife cone biopsy where they took a bigger chunk of my cervix under general anaesthetic.
That was almost 10 years ago now and I've had 2 children and no problems since then.
I think that certain symptoms trigger an urgent referral and it's very scary when everything is urgent and rushed but try to stay calm and remember that if you had a clear smear a year ago (as had I, 18 months before I went to the gp with bleeding), you're unlikely to have anything advanced.
I hope that you get your answers soon, that it's good news and that your mum's treatment goes well too.