Blood testing partnership Synnovis has issued a warning that its hacked blood transfusion services may not be fully operational until the autumn, following a devastating ransomware attack. The pathology partnership revealed that its systems were targeted by hackers who made them unusable unless a payment was received, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of operations and thousands of appointments.
Despite the significant disruption caused by the cyber attack, Synnovis has been working tirelessly to rebuild its systems and restore functionality to its blood transfusion services. The partnership, which includes Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, King’s College Hospitals NHS Trust, and Synlab, a commercial testing firm, has already reconnected more laboratories to receive test orders and return results electronically.
Core chemistry and haematology services have been successfully restored at some hospitals, with others expected to follow suit in the coming days. Dr. Chris Streather, medical director for NHS London, expressed optimism about the progress being made but acknowledged that it will take time for the services to fully recover.
The ransomware attack, claimed by the Russian cyber-criminal group Qilin, not only disrupted vital blood testing services but also exposed sensitive patient data online. The company is still investigating the breach and the extent of the data stolen, including patient names, dates of birth, and NHS numbers.
Despite the challenges faced by Synnovis, the partnership has remained resilient and has not given in to the hackers’ demands. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the destructive nature of ransomware attacks and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures in safeguarding critical healthcare services.
