CYBER ATTACK
An East Kilbride teenager was left ‘in limbo’ when his blood cancer test was cancelled as the NHS cyber attack crippled hospitals across Lanarkshire.
Fifteen-year-old Gregor Kerr had an appointment at Monklands Hospital in Airdrie on Sunday.
But mum Lorraine got a call saying it could not go ahead because of the hacking attack which affected NHS services across the UK on Friday.
NHS Lanarkshire confirmed yesterday that the family have now been given a full update on Gregor’s condition.
He has since been diagnosed with the genetic blood disorder haemochromatosis and is expected to start treatment this week.
The ransomware virus, which locked files and demanded payment for access, affected 150 countries.
Thirteen NHS organisations in Scotland were among bodies affected.
Gregor’s scan was to check for cancerous cells in his blood after his red blood cell count and iron levels tested dangerously high.
The Calderglen High pupil had been falling asleep in class while studying for his National Five exams and had no energy to continue playing rugby.
Lorraine, 45, from East Mains, hit out at the lack of paper records after the cyber attack forced the cancellation of her son’s long-awaited test.
She said: “We’ve been waiting on this appointment for so long.
“When I heard about the cyber attack I thought it would be fine as surely they would have paper records but I was told the NHS are a ‘paperless system’.
“The fact that an organisation the size of the NHS doesn’t have paper records is ridiculous. It beggars belief.
“They should have a contingency plan. We’ve been trying to get answers for two years. It’s very worrying.” Delay