The National Health Service (NHS) in London is facing a critical situation after a cyber attack on Synnovis, a pathology services provider, led to the cancellation of operations and patients being diverted to other healthcare providers. The attack, which occurred on June 3, has affected all of Synnovis’ IT systems, resulting in the disruption of its pathology services. This has had a significant impact on the delivery of services at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trusts, as well as GP services in south-east London.
Patients have described last-minute cancellations of operations and blood tests. Oliver Dowson, 70, was told just hours before his operation was due to take place that it would not be going ahead. His surgeon informed him that the attack had caused major disruptions to the hospital’s systems, leading to the cancellation of many patients’ procedures. Another patient, Vanessa Welham, whose husband’s blood test was cancelled, expressed frustration at the lack of communication from the healthcare provider.
The NHS has confirmed that the attack has resulted in the cancellation of procedures and operations, and that patients have been diverted to other NHS providers. A memo to staff described the situation as a “critical incident” that has had a “major impact” on the delivery of services. Blood transfusions have been particularly affected, with patients receiving messages advising them to attend alternative locations for treatment.
London Hospitals Grapple with Critical Cyber Attack
Cyber security experts have warned that the attack is a stark reminder of the ever-present danger of ransomware attacks to critical institutions. Steve Sands, of BCS – the Chartered Institute for IT, warned that the perpetrators have no conscience and will attack any organisation whose cyber defences are not sufficiently robust. He urged public sector organisations to ensure that they have contingency plans in place to manage cyber attacks and that staff are regularly trained on risk.
Professor Awais Rashid, head of the Bristol Cyber Security Group at the University of Bristol, added that digital infrastructures rely on complex combinations of systems and third-party service providers, making them vulnerable to cyber-attacks. He urged the government to ensure that critical services, such as healthcare, continue to operate safely and reliably even when parts of the infrastructure are under attack or compromised.
The Government has confirmed that it is working with the NHS and the National Cyber Security Centre to investigate the incident and provide support to the affected organisation. Patient safety is the priority, and the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, and the National Cyber Security Centre are working together to minimise the impact on services for NHS organisations in south-east London.
The incident has raised concerns about the resilience of healthcare organisations in the face of cyber attacks. With the NHS relying heavily on digital systems for the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, the disruption caused by the attack highlights the need for robust cyber security measures and contingency planning to ensure that healthcare services can continue to operate safely and reliably.
