Excessive fatigue and exhaustion between NHS employees is a significant risk for patients, England’s NHS security watchdog warns.

The Health Services Safety Investigation Body said that drug errors, impaired decisions, reducing attention and rude and derogatory behavior were the most common problems associated with tired employees in hospitals.

It said that there was limited data on the scale of the problem, but the surveys and information provided by the security experts cited evidence that it was a contribution factor in security incidents.

In its report, Watchdog gave an example of mistakes with pregnancy scans and chemotherapy drugs.

In one case a mother and child were damaged after a wrong scan, in which the staff member stated that fatigue and workload were contributed.

In the chemotherapy case, the staff was about nine hours in a 12.5 -hour shift and managed to sleep only five to six hours between shifts and limited breaks due to staff pressure.

Hospital investigation found that fatigue was “likely to be a factor”.

Some employees reported to be deprived of sleep on a daily basis.

And a doctor told the Watchdog: “When it takes place on the third day of the 12-hour nights, it is dangerous from 2 o’clock … I also have energy or brain place or mental place which is to make a life-long decision for a patient at this point?”

Watchdog said tiredness was also a risk for employees, with some complaints of shaking heads on the wheel on the way to the house and reports of employees who died in road accidents after work.

Shift work, prolonged working hours, lack of brakes, care responsibilities and financial pressure were all quoted as factors in the fatigue of the employees.

Watchdog said the issue was often misunderstood in NHS and thought more as a good issue rather than a security issue.

It said that the government and NHS England need to introduce better systems to monitor fatigue and work with unions and employers to raise awareness about it.

Senior Safety Investigator Saskia Farsland said: “Fatigue is more than just getting tired – it can greatly affect decision making, motor skills and vigilance.

“We should go away from looking at fatigue as an individual issue and put the onos on personal responsibility and instead consider it as a system-level risk that is immediate noticeable.”

Dr. of British Medical Association Latifa Patel said that belonging to the findings, but it is not surprising to the doctors that there is a long innings with a little relief.

He said that employees need better Rota design to rest properly between shifts and comfort facilities in hospitals.

But he said that fatigue was also “often inspired by lack of workforce”.

A spokesman from NHS England stated that this recognized employees were at risk of burnout and “committed” to ensure that they had the necessary support to provide safe care.

He said, “Employees should always feel confident to report patient safety concerns, in which they are associated with fatigue, and we will work with the local NHS system to address any issue.”

He said that NHS was offering more flexible working options than ever before and a series of mental health assistance was available for employees.