TV shows inspired me to ‘blue light’ my career

Man was just 15 when he realised he wanted to be a paramedic

“I was only 15, but I became really interested in watching medical programmes – not things like Casualty, but serious documentaries,” he explains. “I was fascinated by everything that went on.

“Around the same time, I remember starting to notice ambulances racing around town and thinking that it just looked so cool. I realised that I’d like to do something medical when I left college, so I started reading up about paramedics and it really appealed.”

Matondo applied to Greenwich University and spent three years studying for a degree in Paramedic Science. The course included a placement with the London Ambulance Service. “Working out what people need is so s at i s f y i ng. while you’re checking them out.”

While he hasn’t been sent to any major incidents yet, Matondo, who now works for the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, has had his share of high drama. “I’ve had difficult jobs that were time critical and where the patients were really unwell. But even though there’s pressure that comes with that, I find myself thinking, ‘ This is what I signed up for.’”

One emergency he will never forget was a man who had been changing a tractor tyre when it exploded. “The wheel rim had blown off and cracked open his skull. I had to keep him calm while we waited for the Air Ambulance to take him to Leeds Hospital.

“I heard later that he had survived, but I still felt like I needed some closure because it was such an extraordinary thing to have dealt with. I had a connection with him in a way, because it was a really significant injury, so I went to visit him afterwards in intensive care.

“It feels great to be part of the NHS – it’s a huge organisation but we continuously put patients at the heart of everything we do.”