James Francis Pantridge, CBE MC OStJ (3 October 1916 – 26 December 2004) was a Northern Irish physician, cardiologist, and professor who transformed emergency medicine and paramedic services with the invention of the portable defibrillator.

[2] When he was freed at the war's end, Pantridge was emaciated and had contracted cardiac beriberi; he suffered from ill-health related to the disease for the rest of his life.

He returned to Northern Ireland in 1950, and was appointed as cardiac consultant to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast and professor at Queen's University, where he remained until his retirement in 1982.

By 1957 Pantridge and his colleague, Dr John Geddes, had introduced the modern system of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for the early treatment of cardiac arrest.

During his time living in the hills beyond Poleglass [5] to extend the usefulness of early treatment, Pantridge went on to develop the portable defibrillator, and in 1965 installed his first version in a Belfast ambulance.

Much of Pantridge's research was conducted alongside colleague John Anderson, the head of Biomedical Engineering at Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, who went on to co-found Heartsine.

Although he was known worldwide as the "Father of Emergency Medicine",[8] Frank Pantridge was less acclaimed in his own country, and was saddened that it took until 1990 for all front-line ambulances in the UK to be fitted with defibrillators.