Colin Paine is a Detective Chief Superintendent in Thames Valley Police. He is currently working on the Police Spending Review with the NPCC. Here he reflects on his diagnosis of Myalgic Encephalopathy (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).
Police work feels inherently fast paced. It is in the nature of our work that we are often ruled by the tyranny of the immediate. The demands are endless and our resources are finite. It is no surprise that many of us, particularly those in leadership, end up working long hours at a frantic pace. This is a necessity of our environment, but perhaps the time has come to ask whether working this way is sustainable, healthy or always adds as much value as we might think.
I had pause to consider this when I fell ill with ME/CFS. Many in the service will relate to the sense of feeling ‘tired all the time’, particularly with shift work, high workloads and on call. However, most will not have ME/CFS – which takes this sense of fatigue to an entirely different level. Many of those with ME/CFS are housebound and a significant proportion are unable to work altogether. I experienced this extreme weariness in the first months of illness. I struggled to walk short distances, slept 14 hours a day and then eventually work became impossible. Like an old smartphone, I needed to be recharged several times a day just to keep the most basic functions going.
