Leslie Bartlet, a prominent Winchester consultant psychiatrist, has died aged 96.

After qualifying in medicine from Aberdeen University in 1951, Leslie gained invaluable experience in psychiatry during his national service, at a time when the profession was in its comparative infancy; treating British and allied soldiers from the traumatic affects of the Korean War, long before the official recognition of PTSD.

As the only qualified medic in his unit, but with only limited experience in the emerging specialised field of psychiatry, he was thrown into the deep end, but responded with characteristic resilience. He had to use his intuition to make judgements on how to treat his patients. There was no senior consultant for advice or second opinions, as you would expect for a newly qualified junior doctor back in UK. He felt that he gained more valuable experience in a year in Korea than he would have in 10 years on an NHS hospital ward back in civvy street.

After National Service Leslie returned to UK as senior house officer in mental health departments in Aberdeen and Falkirk before becoming senior registrar at Hertfordshire Child Guidance with attachment to The Tavistock Clinic 1958-60.

Leslie then returned to Southampton, where he’d been born & brought up, to be appointed Consultant Child Psychiatrist for Hampshire Child Guidance Services. He also became Honorary Consultant at Southampton Children’s Sleep Disorder Services (1987 and 2003) where he was instrumental in developing a ground breaking understanding and treatment of sleep disorders in young people, gaining an impressive reputation across the world.

Consequently he travelled extensively in Asia working through The British Council to advise the World Health Organisation and many individual institutions too numerous to mention by name.

Leslie had a kind and generous spirit with an interest in people which made him ideally suited to dedicate his life to working in mental health.

He also helped establish Hope Lodge School for autistic children in Bitterne Southampton in 1970.

He loved walking in his beloved Scottish mountains and adventurous travel abroad visiting some 50 countries during a full and active life.

Leslie was married to Sue Bartlet, whose academic research at Southampton University unearthed the lost story of Licoricia, whose statue now stands in Jewry Street, Winchester. She was also a prominent Labour member of Hampshire County Council. Sue died in 2010.

They are survived by three daughters, Carolyn, Elspeth and Emma.