A third of NHS doctors are reporting such severe fatigue that it is hindering their patient care, a situation more dire than during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, reveals a recent report.
A survey by the Medical Defence Union (MDU), which supports around 200,000 healthcare professionals across the UK, highlights that prolonged hours, staffing deficits, and a surge in demand have exacerbated the fatigue, leading to lapses in memory and concentration, and even instances of patient harm.
The findings indicate that 35% of doctors feel their exhaustion compromises their medical abilities, with an additional 34% concerned about potential impairments.
Alarmingly, 69% acknowledged that their fatigue might have already impacted their clinical performance, with 26% of these admitting to patient harm or near misses as a consequence.
Comparative data from 2022 shows a worrying trend: only 9% of doctors felt daily sleep deprivation then, a figure that has now escalated to 22%.
The proportion of medics reporting that fatigue impaired their patient treatment has risen from 26% in 2022 to 35% in 2025, with technical skills also seeing a decline from 17% to 22%.
Dr Udvitha Nandasoma of the MDU described the ongoing pressures as a significant threat to both doctor wellbeing and patient safety, emphasizing the need for structural changes to address the chronic undervaluation of rest periods within the NHS.
The government’s response, pointing to inherited inefficiencies and promising systemic reforms through upcoming workforce plans, underscores the urgency of enhancing conditions to safeguard both healthcare standards and staff health.
