A Scottish paramedic has swapped the NHS for a new life in Australia, where he now enjoys playing the bagpipes on the beach beside his spacious four-bedroom home and earns significantly more in what he describes as a “happier” work setting.
Darren O’Hare, 38, hailing from Fife, served with the Scottish Ambulance Service in the Forth Valley for a decade. He recalls an “enjoyable” tenure that nonetheless presented its “challenges”, particularly amid the pandemic.
The father-of-three shared that moving to Australia had long been a dream for him and his wife Susan, 39, of 15 years, but they were biding their time for the perfect moment.
In June, Darren, alongside Susan, their daughters Carmen, 21, Ellie, 15, Keira, 12, and their dog Finlay, uprooted from their three-bedroom house in Grangemouth to Perth in Western Australia.
His salary, excluding overtime, jumped from approximately £48,000 in Scotland to AUD 109,000 (£56,000) despite taking a step down from a managerial position to a “bottom level” paramedic role in Perth.
While awaiting permanent residency and the completion of their Scottish property‘s sale, they’re renting a four-bedroom residence near the beach for AUD 680 (£350) weekly. Darren emphatically stated there was “no chance in hell” they could have afforded such a home back in Scotland.
Darren has observed notable differences in the work environment between the NHS and Australia’s health service, noting that his peers appear “happier” and experience less “stress” despite facing similar challenges.
He also believes his quality of life has significantly improved since moving, allowing him and his wife to offer their three daughters “the best chance in life”.
“I don’t like bad mouthing Scotland and I’m fiercely proud of the Scottish but a major thing for me is opening my blinds and seeing some bright, sunny skies, it lifts your mood,” Darren said.
“We finish work and go to the beach, we live right on the beach and we’ve booked various trips to see the wildlife, dolphins, whales, things like that. Western Australia is a massive place and there’s so much more to do the world is your oyster.”
Having served nearly 12 years in the British Army from the tender age of 16, Darren initially worked as a mechanic before transferring to the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. There, he operated battle tanks and, as a skilled bagpipe player, joined the pipe band as a regimental piper.
In 2014, Darren embarked on a new career path with the Scottish Ambulance Service, starting as an ambulance technician and then qualifying as a paramedic four years later.
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Reflecting on his time with the NHS, Darren recalls it as “enjoyable” but acknowledges the significant challenges it presented. “In December 2019 I got a promotion to a team leader as a front-line supervisor and obviously, five months after that, we were up to our necks in a pandemic,” he recounted.
“To be a supervisor through that period was wild, it was a really big challenge through Covid.” But ultimately, 10 years and three months, it was a really enjoyable experience and I worked with really good people.”
Darren and his family had long harboured dreams of moving to Australia, initially sparked by a potential military transfer to the Australian army which, regrettably, didn’t materialise. Revisiting the idea as a paramedic, Darren recounted how he contacted every ambulance service in Australia and New Zealand, only to learn they were prioritising local residents.
In 2022, a colleague’s tip-off about St John Ambulance Western Australia’s search for international candidates saw their aspirations “reignited”.
Darren jumped at the opportunity, applying for a position in December 2022; by December 2023, he was accepted, and the family made the move in June. The journey, including securing visas, enrolling his daughters in new schools, and selling their Scottish home, proved “stressful” and drawn-out.
Despite putting their three-bedroom house up for sale in February, they’ve faced setbacks with two sales falling through, and are still awaiting completion before they can start on permanent residency in Australia. Once settled with permanent residency, Darren plans to buy a house.
“It was just such a long, drawn-out process but the house is the last tie (to the UK),” he shared, as his family have settled into their life in Australia, with both work and school going well.
While their house sale back in the UK is still pending, they’re renting a spacious four-bedroom, two-bathroom property that boasts a large backyard and theatre room near the beach.
“There’s no chance in hell that I could afford a house like this in Scotland,” he admitted, recounting how both he and his wife were earning well back home. “The house we were living in was too small for us, the five of us plus our dog and we needed a bigger house but we could not have afforded one.”
With aspirations to purchase a similar or larger home in Australia, Darren looks forward to what the future holds. On the professional front, Darren has noted several differences between the health services of the UK and Australia, especially regarding his salary, workplace morale, and the cooperation between hospital staff and ambulance crews.
“I was a manager for the last three years in Scotland… I’m earning more now as a bottom level paramedic here in Australia,” he remarked.
He is set for a pay rise as he approaches the opportunity to acknowledge his paramedic experience which will enable him to climb the ranks; his current annual pre-overtime income stands at AUD109,000 (£56,000). Despite acknowledging that every job comes with its bad days and challenges, Darren feels that there seems to be a significant reduction in stress amongst his colleagues, as everyone appears to handle situations rather well.
“It feels as though there’s a much more collaborative approach between the ambulance and the hospitals, and I can only go from my experience, but on a recent shift, I spent a lot of time waiting to hand patients over but there’s no stress.”
“There’s no aggravation from managers or hospital staff, everybody is understanding of the situation and we all work around it and with it as best as we can, I think everybody’s just a bit happier for it.”
He also commented on an improved lifestyle, noting that beach visits have become a regular treat and his family enjoys a wider array of activities these days.
“We want to give the girls the best chance in life,” he mentioned. “Ideally, we would have done it 10 years ago when we had a 10, a five and a three-year-old if everything would have lined up. Everything on offer for us is far better than what we had back in Scotland.”
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