Several major hospitals in London have been impacted by a cyberattack that caused the diversion of emergency patients and the cancellation of some medical procedures. King’s College Hospital, Guy’s and St. Thomas’, Royal Brompton, and Evelina London Children’s Hospital, and other primary care services have been affected by the “major IT incident” that affected the pathology departments in charge of the blood transfusion process. This has had a significant impact on the hospitals’ ability to deliver services.
The incident may have been a result of a ransomware attack, according to senior sources who spoke to the Health Service Journal (HSJ). The attack is thought to have taken place on Monday, causing some departments to lose connectivity to the main server. Experts suggest that gaining access to pathology results could take weeks to achieve as a result of the attack.
The attack is anticipated to affect urgent and emergency care services as the hospitals may not be able to acquire quick-turnaround blood test results. The hospitals have canceled a number of procedures or redirected them to other NHS providers to ensure that only those safe procedures were carried out. Some departments are working to determine what work can be accomplished safely, while emergency services are limited to ensure no patients are at risk.
King’s College Hospital confirmed that the attack had affected its operations. The affected hospitals are working to restore services and are advising patients to call or attend appointments as scheduled unless explicitly told otherwise
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