Dr Keith William Dodd

Dr Keith William Dodd DSC FFARCS MRCS LRCP

02/12/1920 to 03/02/2019

Place of birth: London

Nationality: British

CRN: 499169

Education and qualifications

General education

Manor House School, Clapam; Charing Cross Hospital Medical School (evacuated to Glasgow for the latter part of the course)

Primary medical qualification(s)

MRCS LRCP, 1943

Initial Fellowship and type

FFARCS by Examination

Year of Fellowship

1960

Other qualification(s)

DA(RCP&S), 1954

Professional life and career

Postgraduate career

Joined the Royal Navy soon after qualifying, serving in the Far East on HMS Virago, a destroyer, and taking part in the last naval gun battle of WW2. Next day, Virago was bombed and the Captain, the Engineer and Keith were all awarded the DSC for their work. After discharge he was, for a while, a GP in Hertfordshire, but then decided to specialise, undertaking his early training in Edinburgh, Leicester and Hemel Hempstead before becoming an SR in Sheffield and, from 1957, back in Edinburgh. He was appointed a consultant to the Southern Group of hospitals in 1962, later transferring to the Eastern General Hospital, and retiring in 1985, athough he visited Sweden several times thereafter to undertake locums.

Professional interests and activities

The Edinburgh Southern Group was a collection of small hospitals, and Keith worked to build up the anaesthetic service, but progressive closure due to NHS ‘efficiences’ undermined this. At the Eastern General he organised training of theatre staff to ODP standard, set up an obstetric epidural service and enjoyed teaching. A consistent attender at local PG meetings, he was president of the Edinburgh & East of Scotland Society of Anaesthetists (1971-3). 

Other biographical information

Married to Betty Gardner, they had two children (son & daughter) both of whom became doctors, Fiona also becoming an anaesthetist. Interests included fishing, reading, gardening, opera and walking his dogs, although much of his retirement was devoted to caring for his son who had suffered a serious illness.

Author and sources

Author: Prof Tony Wildsmith

Sources and any other comments:
[1] Funeral eulogy (on file) by his daughter, Fiona, who provided the photograph [2] Medical Directory