June 4, 2024 at 11:47AM
London hospitals are grappling with disrupted pathology services due to a ransomware attack on a service partner, impacting facilities at NHS trusts and primary care services in southeast London. The incident has been declared a “critical incident,” affecting blood transfusions and elective surgeries. Officials are working to understand the full impact and assure patient care.
Key takeaways from the meeting notes:
1. The pathology services in London hospitals are struggling following a ransomware attack on their service partner, Synnovis, which has disrupted critical systems.
2. The impact is significant, affecting hospitals such as Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trusts, and primary care services in south east London.
3. Emergency care is still available, but certain services have been cancelled or redirected, with blood transfusions being particularly affected.
4. The National Cyber Security Centre and Cyber Operations team are providing support to understand the incident’s impact and address the situation urgently.
5. It has been declared a “critical incident,” and NHS Trust officials are meeting regularly to assess the next steps.
6. Synnovis is a partnership between Synlab, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, delivering pathology and testing services across multiple labs.
7. The incident in London is not linked to an attack on Synlab Italia by the Black Basta ransomware crew.
These takeaways highlight the severity of the situation and the efforts being made to address the impact of the ransomware attack on pathology services in London hospitals.