What is fatigue?
Fatigue is a psycho-physiological phenomenon that occurs naturally after a prolonged or intense period of physical or intellectual activity, resulting in difficulty in continuing the effort or work. It occurs in routine, low-stress situations, rather than in emergency situations, where adrenaline kicks in. It is reversible, through proper rest. It is generally associated with impaired responses, lack of alertness, poor risk assessment, increased risk-taking and poor quality decisions.
In this campaign, we want to cover two aspects of fatigue; short term temporary sleep deprivation, which is more easily reversed by rest, but also the prolonged fatigue from chronic sleep restriction leading to mental problems and even sometimes to burn out and/or deep weariness with the system.
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In this section we have summarised what we have learned about fatigue from various scientific studies and from discussions with health professionals and fatigue experts. We wanted to provide a comprehensive view of what is fatigue and facilitate awareness of the fatigue-related risks. We invite you to consult our sources for more details.
What started the campaign?
In 2015, Ronnie, a trainee anesthetist from the UK, lost his life while driving home exhausted after a night shift. His tragic death shed light on the consequences of fatigue among medical staff and sparked the national Fight Fatigue campaign in the UK in 2018.
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Unfortunately, Ronnie’s tragic death isn’t an isolated case. Fatigue remains a silent killer among young medical professionals.
About the Joint Fatigue Group
The Joint Fatigue Working Group is a collaboration between the Association of Anaesthetists, the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine.
It was established in 2018 and it's work is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the organisations with the overall aim being to support work which changes the culture around fatigue. The group has members from all 3 organisations and co-opted experts in the field.​
From national to European collaborative campaign
The European Patient Safety Foundation backed the UK campaign in 2021. With the help of the UK campaign team, the European Patient Safety Foundation initiated this collaborative campaign to accelerate change by sharing the experience and tools from the UK campaign across Europe.
JOIN US
Together we can raise awareness of the risks of fatigue and its impact on health and performance, taking into account the specific context of each country and finding ways to make EVERYONE feel concerned.
Together we can to implement tools and recommendations on how to manage fatigue and improve the well-being and safety of healthcare staff.
Together we can strive to go even further and advocate for more humane working conditions, allowing caregivers time to rest, time to grow and time to provide safe care for their patients.
To join the ‘Fighting Fatigue Together’ campaign, choose one of the answers below, leave your contact details and we’ll get back to you with more information.
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You can also support the campaign by sharing our content via email or social media and by donating.