Paramedic Peter Patterson retires after 38 years

ALMOST four decades of service to NSW Ambulance has come to a close for Gunnedah paramedic Peter Patterson.

Mr Patterson, who ended his long tenure as a level five intensive care paramedic, spent most of his career based at the Gunnedah Ambulance Station.

After 12 months of honorary work, he enjoyed 38 years of employment with the service.

Mr Patterson served his probation in Dubbo and completed his training at Rozelle, Sydney.

His first permanent appointment was at the Narromine station and he then progressed through the ranks in the ambulance service.

Mr Patterson is candid about how he came to ambulance work and said he had been in need of a job at the time.

A station officer encouraged him to join and he hasn’t looked back since.

Arriving in Gunnedah in 1993, he has enjoyed becoming part of the community and the important service a paramedic provides.

No two days are ever the same when you’re responding to incidents across the district.

“You can do the same job a thousand different times,” he said.

“The biggest thing is that human connection.

“If you don’t have that, then you’re not really into your job.”

Mr Patterson said patients and their families often say how privileged they are to have the paramedics in their lives on a particular day.

“We’re the ones who are privileged because these people open their lives and houses up to us in the best or the worst circumstances,” Mr Patterson said.

Spending almost 30 years serving the Gunnedah district has also meant that over time Mr Patterson has built up connections and at times assisted people he has known in the community.

“I had a discussion with a clinical colleague about 12 months ago. We were transporting this person and we were talking about how many generations we’ve treated in the one family,” he said.

“I thought I was doing quite well by stating that I think I’ve treated at least three generations of one family. He said, ‘Well, I think I’ve treated up to five’.”

Peter Patterson in his earlier days at NSW Ambulance. Photos: supplied.

Mr Patterson also reflected on the role of a paramedic and its importance to the community.

“There’s not enough of us in the bush,” he said.

“I believe everybody should do it for a short time of their life.

“I thought I was only going to be there for five years.”

Speaking of life in Gunnedah, Mr Patterson said he had enjoyed what it had to offer.

“I’ve always liked the area,” he said.

Decades spent in the service has also meant he has witnessed enormous change.

Much of this has been in the space of technology and equipment, with ambulances now far more equipped to deal with a variety of emergencies.

Early on, paramedics were also largely on call after their shifts.

Mr Patterson credits the introduction of heart starter machines in ambulances, thanks to Kerry Packer, as one of the biggest improvements.

Mr Packer famously funded an initiative to equip every NSW ambulance with a defibrillator after he had suffered cardiac arrest and was saved by a paramedic who had used a portable defibrillator.

“That just brought everybody’s training up to a new level,” he said.

Mr Patterson also acknowledged more recent improvements including the use of thrombolytics, which he described as “incredible”.

“We basically stop the heart muscle from rotting and dying,” he said.

“And we can do that before we get to hospital and that’s a scary thing … but it does work.

“And when it works, it works very, very well.”

Mr Patterson acknowledged the support he has received during his tenure, particularly highlighting his family.

“You can’t do it alone,” he said. “I was very fortunate to have a partner who was very resilient, independent and dependable … and someone who could bring me back to reality.”

Mr Patterson also praised a former station manager, Scott Clarke, for setting a high example.

“He raised the bar for our clinical aptitude and encouraged us to reach it. And I think that was probably the best thing that ever happened to Gunnedah,” he said.

Mr Patterson also thanked the marvellous people he has worked alongside – fellow paramedics, doctors, nurses, police officers, firefighters and the SES just to name a few.

“We all have to work together at some stage,” he said.

“They’ve all been very good to work with.”

After a great send-off by his colleagues, Mr Patterson has no plans of leaving Gunnedah anytime soon.

“They spoiled me on my last day,” he said.

“We still have family in the area. We won’t be going far for a while.

“We’ll just take it month by month at the moment and just enjoy life.”