What can be done to combat this? Personal experience has taught me the value of building in several natural breaks to my day, and that self-care is vital. I try and go for a walk most days. We take it in turns to buy coffee for colleagues to allow a bit of social interaction. I don't check emails at home and don't work on days off. I also don't take on more projects at work than I can reasonably manage, and I have learned to say no nicely.

I meditate, listen to music while reporting, take time to talk to juniors and consultant colleagues who need to discuss cases, and make time for medical students - they are a fabulous source of IT tricks. I leave work on time as much as possible and make sure I hand over tasks where appropriate.

It's important to make time for doing things that you enjoy outside of work. If need be, put this in your diary and commit to it. For me, this is time spent with my family and friends or in the garden.

There are things employers can do to help, such as providing proper food 24/7, rest facilities (including places where you can get a short power nap), properly planned rotas with adequate staffing levels and planned recovery time or a day off after a weekend on call.

It helps if rotas are given out well in advance and if there is communication and acknowledgement of work difficulties (particularly important during the pandemic). An open culture of being able to review clinical incidents or near misses and actually learn from mistakes and make positive changes is vital.

Tiredness is not something that will go away anytime soon in the NHS. But there are measures we can take to look after ourselves better and therefore our patients.

The opinions expressed in this interview are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the MDU.

Fatigue in the NHS: a member's experience

Fatigue in the NHS: a member's experience