My father, Dewi Jones, who has died aged 90, was a consultant in child and adolescent psychiatry who took a lead role in setting up and organising mental health services for young people in and around Liverpool. He helped to integrate university training with the service, developing the academic specialism of child and adolescent psychiatry at Liverpool University. After his retirement, Alder Hey children’s hospital trust named its mental health inpatient unit after him.
Dewi was born in Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent, the son of David Jones and his wife, Elizabeth (nee Jones). His father had a varied career as a shepherd and coalminer, eventually running a small draper’s business. Dewi’s mother died when he was only 17 years old.
He thrived at Brynmawr grammar school. His dream of becoming a doctor was almost thwarted by the demobilisation priorities after the second world war. Denied a place to study medicine, he went to Liverpool University, initially to take up dentistry, and graduating in 1955.
After that, he was able to get a place to study medicine, graduating in 1958. He soon found the career he loved in working with children with mental health problems in Liverpool hospitals.
Meanwhile in 1956 he married Cynthia Barnes, whom he had met at a school rugby match. They had two children.
Dewi was appointed a consultant in child and adolescent psychiatry in 1968 for Liverpool Health Authority and became consultant in administrative charge of the departments of psychological medicine at the Royal Liverpool children’s hospital in 1981.
He was also clinical lecturer in child psychiatry at Liverpool University between 1976 and 1991. He was elected a fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 1987. Despite offers, he never did any private work.
When Cynthia became seriously ill with mental health problems at the beginning of the 1970s he took on sole parenting responsibilities as well as maintaining his career.
In retirement, he took classes in Spanish and computing and served as a school governor. His later years were overshadowed by the onset of dementia but he was able to live independently with the help of carers until the end of last year.
Dewi had a strong sense of social solidarity and interest in politics, and never forgot his roots. Even with failing health he went out to vote at the general election in December 2019.
Cynthia died in 2002. Dewi is survived by their children, Sian and me, three grandchildren, Alicia, Izzie and Ben, and by a great-grandchild, Aldara.
