Waking Up to the Impact of Staff Fatigue - Human Factors Forum

We will all experience episodes of tiredness but fatigue is a physiological state that can reduce reacting times, impair decision making, underestimate risks and reduce levels of compassion.

Evidence for the link between healthcare staff fatigue and degradations in patient safety is growing, but the scale of the risk and the need for effective management of it remains unacknowledged.

Dr Laura Pickup will present current work on the evidence and risks associated with fatigue and explore how healthcare can start to manage the risk of fatigue at a whole system level, and as seen in other safety critical industries.



Laura Pickup originally qualified as a chartered physiotherapist and worked clinically within the NHS. She obtained a MSc and doctorate in the field of Human Factors and has worked for over 23 years  in the field of human factors delivering research projects, commercial consultancy, training and education.

Laura previously worked as a national healthcare investigator and supported the development of the national investigation education programme. She currently has two professional roles one as a lead in human factors for an NHS organisation and the other as an independent consultant supporting investigations and service reviews.

Talk Held - 10/6/24