Healthcare systems across the UK have been affected by a global IT outage that has led to numerous appointments being cancelled. Doctors and pharmacists have been unable to access digital patient records and prescriptions cannot be sent to pharmacies. Dr Jess Harvey, who works at Much Wenlock & Cressage Medical Practice in Shropshire, has called for patients to be considerate to GP surgery staff so they can cope with the situation. Although staff have been able to access a “really primitive version” of healthcare software, they have essentially been stuck with the services they can deliver.
The cause of the problem is a bug that existed in the update to antivirus software program Microsoft Windows. Cyber security firm Crowdstrike has said it has fixed the issue, however, it could potentially take days to fix affected systems. Train lines, air travel and card payments have also been affected. Dr Harvey urged people to still seek medical attention if needed and advised those with appointments to check their surgery’s website or social media for updates.
Dr Harvey’s team has managed to find some workarounds, such as reverting to issuing prescriptions on paper, although they have had to turn some patients away simply because “we can’t see their blood test results”. While most patients who have seen appointments cancelled have been “quite pleasant about it and understanding”, Dr Harvey implored others to remain kind to those with whom they’re dealing, because “they’re having a hell of a day”. She added that their services were beyond their control and that everyone was doing their best to try and make everything work the best they could.
Dr Neil O’Brien, chief medical officer of NHS North East, said patients should still turn up for appointments “unless told otherwise”. There was no evidence of patient safety being compromised due to the IT issues. Around two thirds of GP surgeries in Northern Ireland have only been able to take emergency appointments with routine appointments being cancelled
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