More than 200 ‘vital’ operations canceled by NHS hospitals after cyber attack

Cancer patients and those requiring emergency operations were among those whose treatment was canceled this week due to a major cyberattack on NHS hospitals in London, The independent can reveal.

More than 200 emergency and rescue operations, including those due to be carried out within 24 hours, had to be canceled by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation Trust (GSTT) and King’s College University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Information obtained by this publication reveals the scale of disruption to NHS services in south London after Synnovis, a provider of pathology services to hospitals, was hit by a ransomware attack from hackers.

On Monday, NHS leaders issued an appeal for patients with type O blood to come forward for donation after The independent revealed concerns on Saturday about how London’s hospitals would be affected by a national shortage of this type of blood.

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It’s not yet clear how long the disruption will last, but hospitals fear they could struggle if it lasts more than a few days. According to one source, Synnovis performs tens of thousands of tests per day but is unable to do so because it does not have access to the systems.

GSTT and King’s College declared critical incidents this week, as did mental health and community care provider South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, which was also affected.

The impact could also extend beyond London, as Synnovis provides some services to other hospitals.

The independent can reveal:

Blood transfusions have been one of the main problems following the attack and health care officials are worried because blood checks will be needed for emergency operations. However, as reported earlier this year, there is a national shortage of O-positive and O-negative blood across the country.

Synnovis provides the IT platform for pathology services to hospitals which include: Guy’s Hospital, St Thomas’ Hospital, King’s College Hospital, Royal Brompton transplant center, Harefield Hospital and Evelina Children’s Hospital.

It is also the leading provider of pathology platforms for GP services across six London boroughs: Bromley, Southwark, Lambeth, Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham.

The ransomware attack, which occurred on Monday, is suspected to have been carried out by the Russian cybercrime group Qilin. Synnovis did, however, receive a ransomware note The independent understands that it is unclear whether the hackers extracted patient data.

Sources said The independent the impact on NHS services could last for months, although the most urgent and priority services could be restored within weeks.

The National Cyber ​​Security Center (NCSC) is involved in managing the situation alongside the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care.

A spokesperson for NHS London said: “NHS staff are working around the clock to minimize significant disruption to patient care following the ransomware cyberattack and we are sorry to everyone who was affected. Pathology services are an integral part of a wide range of treatments and we know that a number of operations and appointments have been canceled due to this attack.

“We are still working with local hospitals and GP services to fully assess the disruption and ensure data accuracy. In the meantime, our advice to patients remains the same: if you have not been contacted, please continue to attend your appointments.

A Synnovis spokesperson said: “Synnovis continues to work closely with the NHSE and NCSC to prioritize and restore our services as quickly and safely as possible.

“We are implementing a number of operational solutions to minimize the impact on partner services. Our teams are working continuously and we will provide further updates as possible.

This article was updated at 9:55 a.m. on June 10 to correct the name of the Royal Brompton Hospital, which previously referred to Royal Papworth.