NHS ‘cyber attack’: Major UK hospitals forced to cancel surgeries and blood transfusions as ‘critical incident’ declared
HOSPITALS are being forced to cancel major surgeries and blood transfusions after a cyber attack.
A "critical incident" has been declared, with massive NHS hospitals and their patients impacted.
There are reports patients in London are being told they may have to wait weeks for appointments - including blood transfusions.
London's Guy's, St Thomas' and King's College Hospitals are said to have been impacted.
Royal Brompton and Harefield also reportedly had to cancel transplant surgeries.
Contracted IT firm Synnovis, which serves NHS pathology labs, confirmed in an email to staff that it had been hit.
The Mirror reported the email read: "This is having a major impact on the delivery of our services, with blood transfusions being particularly affected.
"Some activity has already been cancelled or redirected to other providers at short notice as we prioritise the clinical work that we are able to safely carry out."
The email continued: "I recognise how upsetting this is for patients and families whose care has been affected, and how difficult and frustrating this is for you all. I am very sorry for the disruption this is causing
"An incident response structure has been stood up, with colleagues from across the Trust meeting regularly to assess the situation and put contingency plans into place."
It added: "While we do not yet know all the details or how long this issue will take to resolve we will keep you updated through the usual routes, including through the clinical alert system."
King's College Hospital in London confirmed it was hit by a cyber attack.
In a letter to staff, King's said the "major IT incident" was having a major impact on the delivery of services.
Some procedures have been cancelled or redirected to other NHS providers, it said.
The Sun has contacted NHS England for comment.
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