Former colleagues and family remember Dr. John Geddes, a Belfast-born cardiologist who revolutionized heart treatment and saved countless lives.
Dr. John Geddes, a prominent cardiologist from Belfast, passed away peacefully in Florida on October 9. His groundbreaking work in Northern Ireland over fifty years ago continues to be recognized as transformative in the field of cardiology.
In 1969, Dr. Geddes made history by performing the first cardiac pacemaker implantation in Northern Ireland. This small surgically implanted device regulates heartbeats and has become a standard treatment for various heart conditions.
Dr. Geddes collaborated with renowned cardiologist Dr. Frank Pantridge to develop the world’s first portable defibrillator. Together, they also contributed to the creation of the first mobile coronary care unit, which enabled emergency cardiac care to be delivered on the go. This innovation greatly improved survival rates for patients experiencing heart emergencies. The portable defibrillator and mobile coronary care unit were first deployed in Belfast in January 1966 and proved so successful that they were adopted worldwide, saving many lives.
Dr. Pantridge, who passed away in 2004, later acknowledged Dr. Geddes’s crucial role in establishing in-hospital resuscitation and mobile cardiac care services. He noted, “These might not have come about if Dr. John Geddes had not been in the Cardiac Department of the Royal Victoria Hospital from 1964 to 1967.”
Samuel Webb, who worked closely with Dr. Geddes in the Royal Victoria Hospital’s cardiac unit, remembered him as “soft-spoken, focused, and determined to get the job done.” He praised Dr. Geddes as a skilled organizer who was courageous and willing to explore new ideas, stating that he and Dr. Pantridge worked in a symbiotic partnership.
Born in Belfast in 1939, just months before the outbreak of World War II, Dr. Geddes attended Campbell College and Queen’s University Belfast. Dr. Norman Patton, a cardiologist, reflected on Dr. Geddes’s academic accomplishments, noting that he earned multiple medals as an undergraduate and received his medical degree in 1963. Dr. Geddes served as a house officer at the Royal Victoria Hospital from 1964 to 1966 and as a registrar and senior registrar from 1967 to 1971.
In the latter part of his career, Dr. Geddes continued to advance his field. Between 1996 and 1997, he worked in Sydney, Australia, with Qantas Airlines to study the effects of having cardiac defibrillators on flights. As a result of his efforts, Qantas became one of the first airlines to equip all its flights with defibrillators.
Dr. Geddes published extensive research on clinical cardiology and electrophysiology in various medical journals throughout his career. His final book, The Evolution of Pre-Hospital Emergency Care: Belfast and Beyond, received a standing ovation at its launch in Nova Scotia’s House of Parliament.
His wife, Florence, shared that Dr. Geddes was frequently invited to prestigious medical centers to give lectures on his work in cardiology and the history of Belfast’s mobile intensive unit cardiac ambulance. She expressed pride in his achievements, stating, “This great achievement of the Geddes-Pantridge ambulance put Belfast on the world map, and John was proud of that.”
Reflecting on his recognition in Nova Scotia, she said, “The standing ovation brought a tear to my eye.” In his retirement in Florida, Dr. Geddes enjoyed playing golf and had a passion for photography, often sharing stunning images of Florida wildlife with colleagues.
Florence described him as a respected figure among his peers and patients, as well as a loving husband and father to their two sons, Stephen and Johnny.
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