Paramedic leaves NHS for Australia - where he earns thousands more and plays bagpipes on the beach

A split photo of Darren on the left wearing his uniform on the beach and a family photo on the right
-Credit: (Image: No credit)


A Scottish paramedic has swapped the NHS for a new life in Australia, where he now enjoys playing bagpipes on the beach beside his spacious four-bedroom home. He says he 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 was not without 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, left their three-bedroom house in Grangemouth for Perth, Western Australia.

READ MORE:Tragic death of County Durham teen after scoliosis surgery sparks inquest

READ MORE:Vernon Kay admits he was 'skint' in surprise Tess Daly relationship admission

His salary, excluding overtime, jumped from approximately £48,000 in Scotland to AUD 109,000 (£56,000) despite stepping down from a managerial role to a "bottom level" paramedic position in Perth. While awaiting permanent residency and the completion of their Scottish property's sale, they're renting a four-bedroom abode near the beach for AUD 680 (£350) weekly.

Darren expressed that such a lifestyle would have been unattainable back in Scotland, saying there was "no chance on hell" they could have afforded a similar home there. 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 enhanced, 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 shared with PA Real Life.

"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 just shy of 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 journey with the Scottish Ambulance Service, starting as an ambulance technician and, after four years, qualifying as a paramedic in 2018. Reflecting on his tenure within 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, a desire first sparked by a potential military transfer to the Australian army which sadly didn't materialise. Revisiting the idea when he became a paramedic, Darren revealed he contacted every ambulance service in Australia and New Zealand but was told they would need to prioritise their own residents first.

However, in 2022, a colleague informed him that St John Ambulance Western Australia were looking for international applicants, reigniting Darren's dream. He applied for a position within the ambulance service in December 2022, was accepted in December 2023, and the family made the move in June this year.

Describing the process of securing visas for the family, enrolling his two younger daughters into new schools, and selling their property in Scotland as "stressful" and time-consuming, Darren said they are still waiting for the sale of their three-bedroom house in Scotland to complete after it fell through twice since being put on the market in February. Once this is finalised, they plan to buy a house and start the process of obtaining permanent residency in Australia.

"It was just such a long, drawn-out process but the house is the last tie (to the UK)," he admitted, sharing that his family have smoothly transitioned into their new life in Australia with work and school. Despite being in a limbo as they wait for their house sale to finalise, the family is enjoying a rented four-bedroom, two-bathroom home that boasts a large back garden and a theatre room near the beach.

"There's no chance on hell that I could afford a house like this in Scotland," he confessed, despite earning a good salary in his former homeland. "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."

Optimistic about the future, he said: "We're hoping to buy something similar now in Australia, if not bigger." Darren has observed some significant differences between the healthcare systems of the UK and Australia including his wages, workplace morale, and the teamwork between hospitals and ambulance services.

Reflecting on his career, he shared: "I was a manager for the last three years in Scotland... I'm earning more now as a bottom level paramedic here in Australia,". Currently, his yearly income stands at 109,000 Australian dollars (£56,000) before overtime, with prospects of further increments as he plans to have his paramedic experience acknowledged to progress his rank.

"We all have bad days at work and there's challenges here, there's no denying it, but everybody seems to take it in their stride and there seems to be a lot less stress," he added. "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. We want to give the girls the best chance in life," he said.

"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."