Hundreds of cancer patients hit by NHS cyberattack as thousands of appointments cancelled

Patients with cancer and those needing emergency operations were among those who had their treatment cancelled this week due to a major cyberattack on NHS hospitals in London.

More than 200 emergency and life-saving operations, including those which should be done within 24 hours, had to be cancelled by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation Trust (GSTT) and King’s College University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

It is not yet clear how long the disruption will last, however hospitals are concerned they will struggle if it continues for more than a few days. According to a source, Synnovis carries out tens of thousands of tests a day but is unable to do so as it cannot access systems.

The Independent revealed:

• More than a third of procedures and operations have been cancelled, which includes over 3,000 non-surgical appointments and hundreds of patients who have been referred for urgent cancer diagnosis.
• Mothers waiting to have c-sections have also had their procedures cancelled and hospitals are investigating potential harm.
• Transplant operations have been cancelled and hospitals have had to reduce the number of people they’re able to book in.

Read full story

Source: The Independent, 10 June 2024