Latest news with #Synnovis
Reuters
26-06-2025
- Health
- Reuters
UK health officials say patient's death partially down to cyberattack
WASHINGTON, June 26 (Reuters) - A cyberattack last year against British diagnostic services provider Synnovis contributed to the death of a London hospital patient, British health officials said, providing one of the first confirmations of a death tied to hacking activity. The patient at King's College Hospital in south London died in part because the hack caused a "long wait" for blood test results as well as other factors, the hospital's managing body said on Wednesday, without identifying what they were. The hospital said the patient's family had been informed but did not provide other details. Synnovis' CEO Mark Dollar said in a statement Wednesday: "We are deeply saddened to hear that last year's criminal cyberattack has been identified as one of the contributing factors that led to this patient's death." In the June 2024 hack - attributed to the Qilin ransomware gang - media reports said attackers demanded $50 million from Synnovis for its data. The company did not pay, and the stolen data was later published on the dark web, reports said. The attack disrupted the U.K. healthcare network, and snarled operations at some of London's busiest hospitals. In January Synnovis, opens new tabsaid the hack led to more than 32 million pounds ($43 million) in costs. Medical services providers have been hard hit by ransomware as hackers suspect they will pay quickly to avoid interruptions to healthcare. Deaths have been tied to past ransomware incidents, including a baby in Alabama in 2019, opens new tab and a 78-year-old woman in Germany in 2020, opens new tab, although direct causation can be difficult to establish. The Qilin hackers did not respond to a request for comment on the death. News of the U.K. death was first reported by British healthcare publication HSJ, opens new tab. ($1 = 0.7323 pounds)
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
UK health officials say patient's death partially down to cyberattack
(Fixes typo in headline) By Raphael Satter and AJ Vicens WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A cyberattack last year against British diagnostic services provider Synnovis contributed to the death of a London hospital patient, British health officials said, providing one of the first confirmations of a death tied to hacking activity. The patient at King's College Hospital in south London died in part because the hack caused a "long wait" for blood test results as well as other factors, the hospital's managing body said on Wednesday, without identifying what they were. The hospital said the patient's family had been informed but did not provide other details. Synnovis' CEO Mark Dollar said in a statement Wednesday: "We are deeply saddened to hear that last year's criminal cyberattack has been identified as one of the contributing factors that led to this patient's death." In the June 2024 hack - attributed to the Qilin ransomware gang - media reports said attackers demanded $50 million from Synnovis for its data. The company did not pay, and the stolen data was later published on the dark web, reports said. The attack disrupted the U.K. healthcare network, and snarled operations at some of London's busiest hospitals. In January Synnovis said the hack led to more than 32 million pounds ($43 million) in costs. Medical services providers have been hard hit by ransomware as hackers suspect they will pay quickly to avoid interruptions to healthcare. Deaths have been tied to past ransomware incidents, including a baby in Alabama in 2019 and a 78-year-old woman in Germany in 2020, although direct causation can be difficult to establish. The Qilin hackers did not respond to a request for comment on the death. News of the U.K. death was first reported by British healthcare publication HSJ. ($1 = 0.7323 pounds)
Digital Trends
26-06-2025
- Health
- Digital Trends
A hospital hack has been linked to a patient's death
Cyberattacks are troublesome at the best of times, but sometimes they can take a much darker turn. Case in point: Officials in the U.K. have just linked a ransomware attack to the death of a patient. Recommended Videos The attack, which took place in June 2024 and was widely reported at the time, targeted NHS blood services at hospitals and doctor's offices in London and disrupted more than 10,000 appointments. Following a special review of the patient's care conducted by the King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, it was concluded that various factors had contributed to the patient's death, among them a lengthy wait for the result of a blood test — a wait arising from the disruption caused by the cyberattack. 'The patient safety incident investigation identified a number of contributing factors that led to the patient's death,' a spokesperson for the trust said in comments reported by the BBC, adding: 'This included a long wait for a blood test result due to the cyberattack impacting pathology services at the time.' The ransomware attack targeted pathology services provider Synnovis and was attributed to the Russia-based hacker group Qilin. The breach severely disrupted patient care, leading to the cancellation of more than 1,000 operations and outpatient appointments, and caused a critical shortage of O type blood in London hospitals. In addition to operational impacts, nearly 400GB of sensitive data — including patient names, NHS numbers, and blood test details — was stolen and published online. Qilin told the BBC that while it was 'sorry' for the harm caused, it did not accept blame. The group attempted to justify the attack as a political protest, claiming it was carried out in retaliation for the U.K. government's actions in a war that it declined to name. Speaking to the Financial Times, Dr Saif Abed, a former NHS doctor and specialist in cyber security and public health, described the patient's death as 'the tip of the iceberg,' claiming that it's 'a near certainty' that there have been similar deaths over the years but not recorded as such 'due to a lack of official investigations.' Abed added that an independent inquiry into NHS security and patient safety should begin as soon as possible. It's not the first time that a cyberattack has been cited as a contributing factor in a patient's death. In a tragic incident in 2022, a ransomware attack encrypted the servers at Düsseldorf University Clinic in Germany, forcing the transfer of a critically ill woman to another hospital 20 miles away. She arrived an hour later but died soon after arriving there.
Powys County Times
25-06-2025
- Health
- Powys County Times
Russian cyber attack on hospitals ‘contributed to patient death'
A patient death linked to a ransomware attack on hospital blood services is a 'reminder of the threat Russia poses to our day-to-day life', Government officials have said. King's College Hospital, in south London, said that a patient died 'unexpectedly' during the cyber attack. And an investigation into the death found a 'number of contributing factors' including a 'long wait for a blood test result due to the cyber attack'. Pathology services provider Synnovis was the victim of a ransomware attack by a Russian cyber gang in June last year. As a result more than 10,000 appointments were cancelled at the two London NHS trusts that were worst affected. And a significant number of GP practices in London were unable to order blood tests for their patients. A King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: 'One patient sadly died unexpectedly during the cyber-attack. 'As is standard practice when this happens, we undertook a detailed review of their care. 'The patient safety incident investigation identified a number of contributing factors that led to the patient's death. 'This included a long wait for a blood test result due to the cyber attack impacting pathology services at the time. 'We have met with the patient's family, and shared the findings of the safety investigation with them.' Earlier this month health officials confirmed that 170 patients have suffered harm as a result of the attack. Mark Dollar, chief executive of Synnovis, said: 'We are deeply saddened to hear that last year's criminal cyber attack has been identified as one of the contributing factors that led to this patient's death. 'Our hearts go out to the family involved.' A Government spokesperson said: 'Our deepest sympathies are with the family of the patient. 'This tragedy is a reminder of the threat Russia poses to our day-to-day life and how serious the consequences of these attacks can be to our critical infrastructure.'
North Wales Chronicle
25-06-2025
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Russian cyber attack on hospitals ‘contributed to patient death'
King's College Hospital, in south London, said that a patient died 'unexpectedly' during the cyber attack. And an investigation into the death found a 'number of contributing factors' including a 'long wait for a blood test result due to the cyber attack'. Pathology services provider Synnovis was the victim of a ransomware attack by a Russian cyber gang in June last year. As a result more than 10,000 appointments were cancelled at the two London NHS trusts that were worst affected. And a significant number of GP practices in London were unable to order blood tests for their patients. A King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: 'One patient sadly died unexpectedly during the cyber-attack. 'As is standard practice when this happens, we undertook a detailed review of their care. 'The patient safety incident investigation identified a number of contributing factors that led to the patient's death. 'This included a long wait for a blood test result due to the cyber attack impacting pathology services at the time. 'We have met with the patient's family, and shared the findings of the safety investigation with them.' Earlier this month health officials confirmed that 170 patients have suffered harm as a result of the attack. Mark Dollar, chief executive of Synnovis, said: 'We are deeply saddened to hear that last year's criminal cyber attack has been identified as one of the contributing factors that led to this patient's death. 'Our hearts go out to the family involved.' A Government spokesperson said: 'Our deepest sympathies are with the family of the patient. 'This tragedy is a reminder of the threat Russia poses to our day-to-day life and how serious the consequences of these attacks can be to our critical infrastructure.'
