Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in healthGet our free Health Check emailTwo London hospitals have been forced to cancel all non-emergency operations and blood tests following a ”major” cyber attack.Pathology systems at Kings College Hospital Foundation Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals Foundation Trusts, two of the largest hospitals in the UK, have been hit by a malware attack, according to emails seen by The Independent. Synnovis is the supplier of blood tests, swabs, and bowel tests for the hospitals, which serve patients across six London boroughs. It warned on Monday that it had been hit by a major malware attack, impacting thousands of patients, according to sources close to the hospitals.GPs have been told to cancel all non-emergency pathology appointments, while hospital staff have been told to request emergency blood samples only for patients who require transfusions. In a message to staff on Monday, Guy’s and St Thomas’ said “Synnovis, the pathology provider, for both King’s and Guy’s and St Thomas’ informed us of a major incident with ICT systems.”A critical incident has been declared and staff have been told to prioritise urgent and emergency result requests. In a separate message, Synnovis said its IT systems suffered a “malware attack”, which is affecting all services.It said there would be delays for patients receiving results, and GPs have been asked to cancel all non-urgent blood test appointments.“Given the nature and magnitude of this attack, this is an evolving situation,” it said.The emails say it is unclear how long the issue will last. More to follow…
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/nhs-hospital-cyber-attack-london-blood-tests-b2556383.html