Staff fatigue and transfusion safety – Practical solutions (SHOT Bite Number 38b)

Summary

Fatigue is more than a personal wellbeing issue: it is a proven contributor to clinical and laboratory errors, delays, and compromised decision-making. In transfusion practice, where accuracy and vigilance are critical, unmanaged fatigue can lead to serious harm. Organisations and individuals must have capacity plans which actively identify fatigue signals and embed safeguards into daily work. The practical solutions highlighted in this document outline how teams can recognise fatigue early, take appropriate actions to reduce risk, strengthen safety culture, and improve patient outcomes.

This document was produced by SHOT (Serious Hazards of Transfusions), the UK’s independent, professionally-led haemovigilance scheme.

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