Tributes paid to Caversham doctor

Published 17 Jul 2008 08:45 0 Comments

TRIBUTES have been paid to a highly-respected Reading doctor whose remarkable career spanned more than half a century.

Conrad Latto died aged 93 at his home in Caversham on July 6, and family, friends and former colleagues have been paying their respects.

Originally from Dundee, Dr Latto qualified in Edinburgh in 1940, and was still working as a surgeon when he was 70, practising as a GP at The Mount in Caversham until he was 83.

Dr Latto began his career as a young registrar working in Plymouth during the war years before joining the team at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in 1945 as a surgical resident.

He was made an honorary assistant surgeon in 1947 and, when the NHS was founded in 1948 he became a consultant, specialising in urology.

Dr Latto's eldest daughter Sharon said: "He was a great story teller, and great fun as a father.

"He had a wonderful sense of humour which is why people loved him. He was always encouraging about everything, never anything negative.

"He was one of the unique old-school surgeons who would visit his patients every day on the ward at 8am before starting his day's work. He was also a vegetarian all his life and that was one of his big things, being kind to animals."

Dr Latto married in 1956 and, although separated from wife Anne for more than 30 years, they remained good friends and she remained a regular visitor to his house in Caversham.

Former colleague Dr Marshall Barr said: "He was a wonderful man, an excellent surgeon and a great teacher.

"He also did a lot of work on fibre optics with Harold Hopkins at Reading University and how it was used in endoscopy. He'll be greatly missed."

A letter to the family from former nursing colleague Audrey Dennis described Dr Latto's gift for teaching and inspiring young doctors to fulfil their potential and said: "He was dearly loved at the RBH for his kindness and compassion to all, whether you were a cleaner or a surgeon, he treated you the same."

Dr Latto is also survived by five grandchildren Suzannah, Helen, Charles, Richard and Camilla.

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This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 17 Jul 08

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