After graduation, Scanlan joined the academic staff of Leicester Polytechnic lecturing in drama for five years, before she undertook a similar role at the Arts Council of Great Britain for three years. After the Arts Council of Great Britain was split in 1994, at age 34 Scanlan decided to try becoming a professional actor, quickly gaining the role as a nurse in ITV1's "Peak Practice". This formed some what of a theme in her early career, then playing a midwife in "The Other Boleyn Girl" with Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, before playing a nurse again alongside Ade Edmondson's doctor in ill-fated "Doctors and Nurses", and latterly Dr Diana Dibbs in "Doc Martin" with Martin Clunes.