One of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) Trusts has declared a ‘major incident’ following a cyberattack on a teaching hospital in Birkenhead.
Wirral University Teaching Hospital has isolated its systems after detecting ‘suspicious activity’ to prevent the problem from spreading.
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Outpatient appointments at the hospital have been cancelled while the public has been asked to seek hospital care only for genuine emergencies.
The hospital is continuing to provide services despite these challenges, although some scheduled appointments and procedures have been postponed and will need to be rescheduled.
A spokesperson from Wirral University Teaching Hospital said: “We are working hard to rectify the issue after a major incident was declared at the Trust earlier this week following a targeted cyber security issue.
“While services continue to be available, there has been disruption to planned services, for example, some scheduled appointments are affected.
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By GlobalData“The public is advised to continue to attend any scheduled appointments, along with their appointment letters, unless contacted otherwise.
“The Trust continues to prioritise emergency treatment but there are likely to be longer than usual waiting times for unplanned treatment in our Emergency Department and assessment areas.”
The Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has been operating according to its business continuity procedures in the impacted areas, using paper instead of digital means.
The trust is responsible for several hospitals and other health services located between the river Mersey and north-east Wales.
These include Arrowe Park Hospital, Clatterbridge Hospital, and Wirral Women and Children’s Hospital.
The cyberattack on Wirral University Teaching Hospital is one of several recent incidents affecting the UK’s health service, including a ransomware attack in London.
The UK Government plans to introduce the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to parliament next year to bolster the nation’s cybersecurity infrastructure.
