NHS cyber security: Ex security chief warns of future attacks

Some front-line staff who spoke anonymously are very worried following the recent cyber attacks, with reference being made to outdated equipment they are using.

A senior intensive care doctor in London warned: “The NHS is vulnerable.

“It’s a patient safety issue, but there’s no interest in addressing it. People either don’t know or don’t want to hear about it.”

An A&E consultant in north London told us they were working with “decade-old computers and Windows 7” and that their systems crashed “every few months” while a junior doctor highlighted the risks of outdated equipment and privatization.

“Old computers pose a security risk for patient data. The Synnovis incident shows how vulnerable we are,” the doctor said.

A senior orthopaedic surgeon described the fragmented nature of NHS IT: “There’s no unified system. A patient’s X-ray in one hospital can’t be accessed in another.

“It’s shocking and worrying for cybersecurity.”

Another junior doctor added: “The NHS isn’t doing enough.

“Cybersecurity is costly, and our funding has been cut for over a decade.

“It’s incredibly frustrating.”