The Association of Anaesthesia Associates supports the national campaign to raise awareness of fatigue amongst healthcare staff
The Association of Anaesthesia Associates has announced official endorsement of the national Fight Fatigue campaign, a joint initiative of the Association of Anaesthetists, the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the impact of fatigue and shift work on our NHS workforce.
The Fight Fatigue campaign was launched last year in response to the tragic death of a trainee anaesthetist who died whilst driving home tired after a night shift. In addition, a national survey of over 2,000 anaesthetic trainees published in the scientific journal Anaesthesia[1] found:
- Nearly three quarters of respondents reported fatigue had a negative effect on their physical health or psychological wellbeing.
- 84% had felt too tired to drive home safely after a night shift.
- Less than a third had access to a suitable rest facility.
- 57% had experienced an accident or near miss when driving home after a night shift.
Irfan Mehmood, Anaesthesia Associate & President of the Association of Anaesthesia Associates, said: “I’m delighted the Association of Anaesthesia Associates is formally endorsing this important initiative to raise awareness of the impact of fatigue. The excellent resources produced by the Fight Fatigue campaign will help improve the overall welfare of healthcare workers, ultimately benefiting patient care. We look forward to working with the Association of Anaesthetists and partners to raise awareness within the wider healthcare team, to make the changes to working conditions needed to Fight Fatigue.”
Association of Anaesthetists President and Consultant Anaesthetist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Dr Kathleen Ferguson, said: “I’m delighted that the Association of Anaesthesia Associates is officially supporting our Fight Fatigue campaign and we look forward to working with the organisation to help raise awareness of the issues related to fatigue. We want to change attitudes across the NHS to ensure everyone understands the risks of fatigue and how to mitigate against them. We hope that by taking responsibility collectively for making changes to working practice, we can improve working conditions for all staff which will in turn benefit patient care.
“As momentum for our campaign grows, we now have increasing support from organisations representing a wide range of specialties across the NHS. We also have support from politicians across the political spectrum at Westminster and the devolved bodies. We urge all our colleagues in the NHS to back our campaign and ensure everyone understands the risks of fatigue and how to mitigate them.”
For media enquiries, case studies, and interview opportunities, please contact:
Amelia Lyons, Press Officer, Association of Anaesthetists, on: 07989 748 477 or email: press@anaesthetists.org. Or, Stephanie Addington, Marketing and Communications Manager, Association of Anaesthetists, on: +44 (0) 20 7631 8854 or email stephanieaddington@anaesthetists.org.
About the Fight Fatigue campaign
The #FightFatigue campaign is a joint initiative of the Association of Anaesthetists, Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) and the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine (FICM). Since its launch in 2018, Numerous organisations and politicians have pledged their support. More information about the campaign be found at: www.anaesthetists.org/FightFatigue
About the Association of Anaesthetists
As the professional membership organisation for over 11,000 anaesthetists in the UK, Republic of Ireland and internationally, the Association of Anaesthetists promotes patient care and safety, and advances anaesthesia through education, publications, research and international work. The Association maintains an active programme of support for anaesthesia worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Its motto in somno securitas (‘Safe in Sleep’) encapsulates the major focus of the Association: safety in anaesthesia. www.anaesthetists.org
About the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA)
The Royal College of Anaesthetists is the professional body responsible for the specialty throughout the UK, and ensures the quality of patient care through the maintenance of standards in anaesthesia, critical care and pain medicine. www.rcoa.ac.uk
About the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine (FICM)
The Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine is the professional body responsible for the training, assessment, practice and continuing professional development of Intensive Care Medicine doctors and practitioners in the UK. www.ficm.ac.uk
About the Association of Anaesthesia Associates
The Association of Anaesthesia Associates is the representative body of the Anaesthesia Associate role in the UK. The aims of the Association are to ensure the highest standards of patient care through the education and registration of Anaesthesia Associates and to promote the profession nationally. www.anaesthesiaassociates.org
[1] Anaesthesia: A national survey of the effects of fatigue on trainees in anaesthesia in the UK (Representing 59% of all trainee anaesthetists and 100% of all NHS Trusts) http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/anae.13965/full