Ms TRISH DOYLE (Blue Mountains) (16:46): After 30 years of service to the Blue Mountains community, local psychiatrist Dr Paul Thiering begins his well-deserved retirement at the end of the year. Dr Thiering's compassionate care of his patients has been described as remarkable, and is attributed to saving the lives of many. One patient wrote a moving description of the impact of Dr Thiering's treatment. It stated:

He built me back from a shell of a human being who had endured horrendous abuse and was choosing to end my life, to someone who is a functioning human again and my story would not be the only one.

Dr Thiering and his wife, Bernadette, run a busy family practice in Leura with thousands of patients coming and going over three decades and Bernadette at the front desk welcoming them. Dr Thiering is described as a quiet, humble, hardworking man who is well liked and respected by all. He loves his work, and that dedication is felt by his grateful patients. I pay tribute to the life-changing legacy of Dr Thiering's career, thank him on behalf of those he has helped and wish him the best for his retirement.