LONDON: A ransomware incident is having a significant impact on the delivery of services at some of London’s busiest hospitals, the region’s health service said on Tuesday.
Synnovis, a provider of lab services, was the victim of the incident on Monday, said a statement issued by the state-run National Health Service (NHS) England London region.
“This is having a significant impact on the delivery of services at Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trusts and primary care services in south east London,” the statement said.
The health service said it was working “urgently” with the country’s main cyber security agency, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), and its own cyber operations team to fully understand the impact of the incident.
.@Synnovis our pathology provider confirmed they’re victim of a ransomware cyber attack.
Some patient care is being cancelled or redirected as urgent care is prioritised. We apologise for the inconvenience. Our Emergency Departments remain open.
➡️ https://t.co/DjqbR3Ah5L pic.twitter.com/mzgJ3JW7UW
— King’s College NHS (@KingsCollegeNHS) June 4, 2024
A cyber incident in May 2017, which disrupted businesses and government services worldwide, impacted more than a third of England’s 236 NHS trusts and led to the cancellation of an estimated 19,000 appointments in the span of a week.
Ransomware is a type of malware that holds data and devices hostage until a ransom is paid. Ransomware attacks can cause significant disruptions to operations and the loss of important information and data.
In November 2022, a ransomware attack on the servers of the premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India, caused significant disruptions and denial of service for over two weeks before the threat was neutralised. Over 40 million health records, including those of the most powerful .people in the country, were reportedly compromised.(REUTERS)
