Rotorua ambulance officer warns low pay and trauma are driving staff to Australia

They were Manjinder Singh, Sandeep Singh and Varinderpal Singh, who were on their way home to Tauranga from a spontaneous road trip to Wellington.

Several support measures are available for emergency service responders, but one Rotorua-based ambulance officer says the pay does not compensate for the distress experienced on the job.

In response to Rotorua Daily Post questions provided via Workers First Union, the union member and officer said responding to distressing incidents could lead to poor concentration, lack of sleep and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the effect could especially be pronounced for graduates.

“It’s sometimes called a ‘career-ending job’. I’ve seen plenty of colleagues leave the service for less stressful roles after witnessing something like this.”

The officer said the support mechanisms were there, “but the pay isn’t”.

“Dangerous jobs that involve significant psychological or physical risks should involve commensurate pay, but ambulance officers don’t get that.”

The officer said many new graduates had left due to financial stress and the nature of the work, and some were moving to Australia.

Fast and beneficial support was available through the service’s peer support network, and Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) services such as counselling and psychiatry, the officer said.

“But until the pay improves to compensate for this distress, the ambulance service is in trouble.”

The officer said short-staffing and high turnover were “constant”.

“We need experienced ambulance officers to stay in the job and teach new graduates how to cope.”

Retention and recruitment ‘challenging’

Hato Hone St John district operations manager Jeremy Gooders said the organisation valued the professionalism and commitment of its ambulance officers, who delivered essential care in “often complex and high-pressure situations”.

“Supporting their safety and wellbeing is a core priority.”

Gooders said the organisation provided peer support, post-incident debriefings, access to independent counselling and psychological services, and welfare outreach for particularly traumatic events.

Support was tailored to individuals with managers providing first-line care. New staff received guidance and help from experienced staff where possible, he said.

Pay and conditions were set through the multi-union collective agreement, covering about 78% of staff and expiring on June 30. Collective bargaining would begin in the coming months.

Gooders said entry-level emergency medical assistant remuneration started at $63,934.67 per annum, increasing to $69,668.77 after three years, with additional allowances and penal rates depending on role and roster.

“Like much of the health sector, recruitment and retention of skilled clinicians is challenging.”

The organisation had been working to strengthen its workforce to support people to stay long term. This included its residential emergency management technician programme and international hiring efforts.

Massey University associate professor of clinical psychology and former police detective Ian de Terte. Photo / Supplied

Massey University associate professor of clinical psychology Ian de Terte, a former police detective, said he still remembered attending his first fatal car crash as a teenager.

He said there was “no right way to respond” to such events.

“Some people find them quite traumatic and some people put them in boxes and deal with them that way.

“In my day … you didn’t really talk to colleagues about it because you didn’t want to show the ‘weakness’ … ”

He said exercise and “some form of social support” could help.

De Terte encouraged first responders to seek professional support if they were having “reactions” to events, such as reliving images.

“From what we know, if you address these issues earlier, it’s easier to deal with.”

Support for police officers

Trauma on the job isn’t limited to crash scenes.

The Rotorua Daily Post reported last month that a Taupō police detective quit following the personal impact of investigating a man’s “horrific” collection of images and videos involving child sexual abuse and extreme violence.

The detective described the images he reviewed as being the “most horrific” he’d seen in his career. The experience left him withdrawn and thinking, “What if that was my kid?”

New Zealand Police Superintendent Mel Aitken said police work could sometimes be traumatic and disturbing and the organisation had comprehensive wellness services and policy, including EAP.

Qualified health professionals were employed as “wellness advisers” and worked alongside supervisors, employees and their families, Aitken said.

Wellness advisers could refer employees to externally contracted clinical psychologists. For mandatory referrals, the psychologist must clear the employee as suitable to return to their normal fulltime duties.

Its reintegration programme supported a police officer who had been involved in a critical incident to return to work with confidence, Aitken said.

Umbrella Wellbeing principal psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland said EAP services were particularly important for employees dealing with distressing incidents.

“EAP is best used early on when someone is stressed rather than waiting till things are really bad. Used in that way it can be seen as a fence at the top of a cliff rather than an ambulance at the bottom.”

Sutherland said not everyone would need EAP support, as some people coped well with the aid of whānau and community support.

“But for some, not seeking help early can lead to a deterioration of their mental health and wellbeing as stress builds up and can feel unmanageable.”

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and the Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.