Patients are being turned away from blood tests and transfusions after a cyber-attack affecting both of Southwark’s hospital trusts.
A ransomware attack on lab service provider Synvosis has caused havoc at the King’s College Hospital and Guy’s and St Thomas’ (GSTT) NHS Foundation trusts.
It has meant Gracefield Gardens, the Tessa Jowell Health Centre and Evelina London’s Children’s Hospital are also affected.
NHS England has apologised to patients, urging people to continue attending appointments unless told otherwise.
The government’s National Cyber Security Centre and NHS England’s Cyber Operations team are working towards a solution.
A Bermondsey patient contacted us today after she received a message at 6.57pm on Monday, June 3, saying blood services at the sites had been halted “until further notice”.
Synnovis is a partnership between SYNLAB UK & Ireland, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
The company provides services to the NHS, clinical users and other service users.
A spokesperson for NHS England London region said “On Monday 3 June Synnovis, a provider of lab services, was the victim of a ransomware cyber attack.
“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 and we apologise for the inconvenience this is causing to patients and their families.
“Emergency care continues to be available, so patients should access services in the normal way by dialling 999 in an emergency and otherwise using 111, and patients should continue to attend appointments unless they are told otherwise. We will continue to provide updates for local patients and the public about the impact on services and how they can continue to get the care they need.
“We are working urgently to fully understand the impact of the incident with the support of the government’s National Cyber Security Centre and our Cyber Operations team.”