By admin 
A new survey has revealed that one in three NHS doctors are so exhausted that their ability to treat patients is impaired, highlighting worsening sleep deprivation among medics compared to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Long working hours, staff shortages, and overwhelming demand for care—exacerbated by the pandemic backlog—are leading to extreme fatigue, causing concentration lapses, memory issues, and potential patient harm.
Growing Crisis of Exhaustion
According to the Medical Defence Union (MDU), which supports 200,000 healthcare professionals across the UK, 35% of doctors reported that their exhaustion had directly impacted their ability to provide care. An additional 34% said it may have affected them. Alarmingly, 26% of those affected reported that a patient had been harmed or had a near-miss incident as a result of their fatigue.
The findings suggest NHS medics are even more exhausted than three years ago. In 2022, 9% of doctors reported feeling sleep-deprived daily; in 2025, that figure has more than doubled to 22%. The percentage of doctors whose tiredness impaired their ability to treat patients has risen from 26% to 35% in the same period.
Impact on Patient Safety
The survey of 500 doctors recorded 69 near misses and 17 cases of real harm to patients due to extreme fatigue—significantly higher than in 2022 when 40 near misses and seven harm cases were reported.
One doctor admitted that exhaustion caused them to overlook a critical detail in a chest X-ray, leading to a delayed diagnosis of a bowel perforation. “I don’t want to make excuses for myself, but I believe that had I not been sleep-deprived, I wouldn’t have made this error,” they said.
Calls for Immediate Action
Dr. Udvitha Nandasoma, head of advisory services at the MDU, called the findings deeply concerning.
“There has been no letup in the immense pressures faced by healthcare professionals in the past three years, and this is continuing to impact doctors’ mental health and patient care,” he said.
Nearly four in 10 doctors (38%) reported that they rarely or never get breaks during their shifts, including lunch breaks. Experts warn that without urgent intervention, the crisis will continue to endanger both medics and patients.
Susannah Basile, interim chief executive of Doctors in Distress, stressed the need for structured rest periods. “Doctors are leaving work exhausted and returning insufficiently rested, leading to burnout. Rest breaks need to be prioritised and respected,” she said.
The MDU is urging the government to ensure sufficient resources are in place so that doctors can take regular breaks, reducing the risk of fatigue-related errors.
Government Response
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson acknowledged the long-standing issues of overwork in the NHS, stating that “broken systems and infrastructure” have made doctors’ jobs even harder. However, they pledged reforms to improve working conditions and retain staff.
“Through our investment and reforms, we are turning the NHS around, making it a great place to work so staff can provide top-quality service for their patients. We will set out our plans to grow and support the NHS workforce when we publish our refreshed long-term workforce plan in summer,” the spokesperson said.
With fatigue levels at an all-time high, doctors and healthcare experts warn that urgent action is needed to prevent further risks to patient safety and staff wellbeing.
Gill Bikram Singh