Fatigue risk in healthcare and its impact on patient safety

The investigation will explore healthcare staff fatigue in patient safety incidents including:

• how healthcare staff fatigue can be a contributory factor in patient safety incidents
• the factors that prevent or support fatigue being identified as a contributory factor within patient safety incident investigations.

The investigation will produce a report that may make safety recommendations, safety observations or identify learning for local healthcare organisations to inform improvements in support of patient safety and staff wellbeing.

The purpose of our launch report is to introduce the concept of fatigue and the risk it poses to patient safety. It also outlines the investigation that the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) will be conducting to explore fatigue risk in healthcare and its impact on patient safety.

The investigation is keen to hear from patients, families, healthcare staff and organisations to inform this investigation, particularly if you feel healthcare staff fatigue has impacted patient safety.

We are looking for examples of patient safety incidents where fatigue was a contributory factor and where organisations are considering fatigue as part of their patient safety incident investigations.

If you would like to speak to us about this investigation, please email enquiries@hssib.org.uk.