Dr Gillian McCarthy

Dr Gill McCarthy is a Consultant Physician with over 35 years’ experience in Sexual Health and HIV. She qualified from the Royal Free Hospital and undertook general medicine training in London and Bristol, followed by training in General Practice and then specialty training in Sexual Health and HIV at Chelsea and Westminster and University College London Hospitals. In 1995, Dr McCarthy was appointed as a consultant at Kingston Hospital and founded the highly regarded Sexual Health and HIV service at the Wolverton Centre. Dr McCarthy has extensive experience in managing a wide range of genital conditions and infections in both men and women. While some infections are sexually transmitted, many are not. She has a subspecialty interest in genital skin conditions (dermatology) and painful genital disorders, such as vulvodynia, as well as recurrent infections including thrush and herpes. For many individuals, these conditions present as soreness, itch, irritation, or pain during sex. All genital conditions can cause significant personal distress and impact relationships—factors which are always considered during the consultation process. Dr McCarthy has edited national guidelines in sexual health as a member of the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) Clinical Effectiveness Group, and she has taught extensively on all aspects of Sexual Health and HIV. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr McCarthy held several senior management roles at Kingston Hospital and served as Clinical Director of the Sexual Health and HIV Service until 2020. She is passionate about medical education and the training of future doctors. She was College Tutor for Medicine, and later became Director of Medical Education, responsible for overseeing the training of 230 resident doctors. Dr McCarthy retired from Kingston Hospital in 2021 and is now providing a clinical service at Parkside Hospital, alongside her continued involvement in medical education. Outside of medical practice Dr McCarthy's interests include hill walking and travel. She loves opera and theatre, is a keen gardener and very much enjoys cooking and wine!

STI & HIV screening Treatment and management of all genital infections Advice re PrEP and PEP Genital skin conditions including Lichen sclerosus, Lichen planus, eczema and psoriasis Genital herpes Genital warts Chronic thrush Genital pain conditions in women including pain with sex, vaginismus and vulvodynia and in men chronic pelvic pain syndrome (previously called chronic prostatitis) Psychosexual difficulties