![Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Darren Paterson is in the process of establishing a practice in Tamworth's Tamara Private Hospital, and he's bringing two of his most trusted colleagues with him. Picture by Peter Hardin Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Darren Paterson is in the process of establishing a practice in Tamworth's Tamara Private Hospital, and he's bringing two of his most trusted colleagues with him. Picture by Peter Hardin](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/b1b6261f-818e-4578-9c6d-dac78b9b6959.jpg/r0_0_5392_3592_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Tamworth is getting not one, not two, but three specialist surgeons, plugging a healthcare gap local patients have been suffering under for years.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The first, orthopaedic surgeon Doctor Darren Paterson, says he's always had ties to the New England region.
"We have a farm near Woolbrook, a family farm we've had since I was a small boy. I've got particularly strong childhood memories of mustering cattle in Woolbrook and watching the rugby with my father in Walcha," Dr Paterson said.
The doctor from Sydney is establishing a practice in Tamara Private Hospital, and he's excited to be bringing two well-qualified colleagues with him: a hand surgeon and a spinal surgeon.
CEO of Tamara Private Hospital Debra Maslen says the trio's expertise will come as a huge relief to a region plagued by a chronic shortage of healthcare workers.
"[Dr Paterson] and his colleagues would like to provide a holistic Orthopaedic service at Tamara including a spinal surgeon which is fantastic. We haven't had a spinal surgeon in Tamworth for quite some time."
Coming to Tamworth the long way - around the globe
Dr Paterson has been specialising in hip and knee surgeries for more than 20 years.
He got his start in Sydney and quickly discovered a passion for learning about every cutting-edge orthopaedic treatment he could get his eyes on.
"Basically I spent a couple of years travelling the world trying to get everything I could out of orthopaedics - especially in North America and the UK - and then brought it back to Australia," Dr Paterson said.
He then used that knowledge to the benefit of more than 3000 patients across the NSW coast.
![Dr Paterson gained international experience in advanced hip arthroplasty and knee arthroplasty surgery at the Princess Elizabeth Orthopaedic Centre in England and the Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, USA. Picture by Peter Hardin Dr Paterson gained international experience in advanced hip arthroplasty and knee arthroplasty surgery at the Princess Elizabeth Orthopaedic Centre in England and the Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, USA. Picture by Peter Hardin](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/e7989554-5381-4ade-85cc-a1b7cf8d2d1d.jpg/r0_0_4951_3298_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
In recent years, Dr Paterson began helping out on the family farm more often as his father got older.
About a year ago, he started working at Armidale Private Hospital and moved into the family farm on a semi-permanent basis.
Through this experience he met Ms Maslen and says he was astounded by both the quality of the facilities available at Tamara and the region's high demand for doctors.
"There's a four-bed high-dependency unit here, there's great after-hours ward coverage with general doctors on the wards, and that means there's more potential to do bigger cases safely," Dr Paterson said.
![Dr Paterson is already consulting patients at Tamara and is excited to establish his practice on a more regular basis. Picture by Peter Hardin Dr Paterson is already consulting patients at Tamara and is excited to establish his practice on a more regular basis. Picture by Peter Hardin](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/69eecc05-3e82-4d1a-a724-4c4f8b9914c1.jpg/r0_0_7217_4811_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Ms Maslen says providing local care to local patients is a crucial focus for the private hospital on Dean Street.
"Unfortunately a number of patients are referred to specialists that do not provide a local service and are required to leave the Tamworth region for their surgery," she said.
"Ramsay Healthcare has invested in our local facility at Tamara by providing state-of-the-art facilities so patients can stay close to home, access their support networks, and cut the cost of travelling away from home."
The only missing ingredient was the specialist staff required to operate the new facilities.
Building a base
For now, Dr Paterson says he's living a "hybrid existence," bouncing between Tamworth and Sydney for one week each at a time.
But he's more than open to running the Tamworth practice full time once it finds its footing.
"Tamworth certainly feels to me like a very vibrant town. There's a lot going on, lots of energy, and a lot of opportunity here," Dr Paterson said
"Depending on how busy we get, I might move my centre of gravity up here fully. I'll endeavour to provide the best service I can to the local GPs and the community and will rely on their support."
![Dr Paterson says his wife is supportive of his move to Tamworth, mainly because she also has country roots in the Southern Highlands. Picture by Peter Hardin Dr Paterson says his wife is supportive of his move to Tamworth, mainly because she also has country roots in the Southern Highlands. Picture by Peter Hardin](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/6e1e837e-be9c-4803-bca1-946ff0323ad2.jpg/r0_0_5150_3433_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
He's also been talking to Ms Marslen about setting up a Mako Robot in Tamworth.
A Mako Robot system is a surgeon-controlled robotic arm, which enables doctors to position implants with pinpoint accuracy.
"In the short-to-medium term, this provides patients with a faster recovery and more pain relief," Dr Paterson said.
So far Armidale Private Hospital is the only inland facility in NSW that has a Mako Robot.