Cyber attack strikes multiple hospitals

A major health system’s pathology IT has been hit by a cyber attack, HSJ understands.

A letter sent by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation Trust chief executive last night said his £2.5bn-turnover trust was unable to connect to the servers of Synnovis.

The problem is ongoing, and several senior sources told HSJ the system had been the victim of a ransomware attack. One said gaining access to pathology results could take “weeks, not days”. 

As well as GSTT – the NHS’s largest provider – neighbouring King’s College Hospital FT, which runs several hospitals in the system, and is thought to be affected. Synnovis also provides pathology services for primary care across all six of south east London’s boroughs.

The news would make it one of the largest critical NHS systems brought down by a cyber attack.

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Source: HSJ, 4 June 2024