Posted on: 13 July 2020
Sadly for us, Chris Wilkinson, Consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare has decided to retire.
Starting out as an auxiliary nurse, he then completed his medical degree at the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine. Initially he trained in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and subsequently worked in GUM, with his first Registrar post 33 years ago at the Martha and Luke clinic at Charing Cross Hospital. In 1996 he was appointed as the UKs first Consultant in Women’s Sexual Health at Kings College Hospital, where he was also an Honorary Senior Lecturer in Gynaecology and in Genitourinary Medicine. Whilst at Kings he led the development of the first truly integrated community based Sexual and Reproductive Health Service, the Camberwell Centre, and ran community gynaecology clinics in general practice. In 2003 he moved to be Lead Consultant to the Margaret Pyke Centre that has now become part of CNWL Sexual Health Services.
Chris has been instrumental in raising the profile and quality of sexual and reproductive healthcare, particularly for women. He held the prestigious roles of Sexual Health Lead for London (2009-2013), and President of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FRSH) (2011 – 2016) that had a medical membership of 15,000 and was a Board Member of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. During this time he totally restructured the FSRH into an organisation with a modern management structure to support the membership and its objectives; working with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the FSRH established nursing qualifications, successfully gaining the support from the medical members for nurses and doctors to do the same Diploma qualification. He initiated and led the development and delivery of the NHS award winning e-Learning for Healthcare course (e-SRH). He chaired the original NICE Guideline Development Group for the Guideline in Long Acting Contraception, which was noted to be the first (and possibly only) NICE Guideline for which implementation actually reduced cost to the NHS. This guideline has had a major impact on access to these methods of contraception across the UK and beyond. He also played a key role in developing UK Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraception (UK-MEC) as a concept and getting the Department of Health to fund it to be distributed to all GPs.
Everyone at CNWL, would like to congratulate and thank Chris for his dedication to championing the sexual and reproductive health needs of women.
Chris has been a great colleague for the people who have had the pleasure of working with him for many years.
We appreciate his commitment to high standards, support for all staff, and humour!