Cyber-attack hit Macc Hospital

MACCLESFIELD Hospital was hit by the cyber-attack which affected NHS computer systems.

East Cheshire NHS Trust which runs Macclesfield Hospital confirmed that some of its IT systems were disrupted by the cyber-attack which hit the NHS and other organisations at the weekend.

It was among 47 NHS Trusts affected by the ‘ransomware’ virus which appeared on as an error message and blocked access to patient records, demanding a ransom to release the files.

IT staff at Macclesfield Hospital worked to resolve the issue and bosses stated on Monday (May 15) that the infection had been stopped.

They said that no surgery or appointments were cancelled, patients were not directly affected and no ransoms were paid by the trust or its staff.

The statement said: “Like many other NHS organisations, East Cheshire NHS Trust was affected by Friday’s cyber-attack.

“As soon as local issues were identified, IT systems were shut down to prevent the virus spreading and business continuity plans were enacted to ensure the trust continued to provide safe care.

“Patients have not been directly affected and the trust has not cancelled any elective surgery or outpatient appointments. Some systems holding patient information were unavailable after being taken offline as a precautionary measure, however arrangements put in place as part of our business continuity plans ensured we have still been able to deliver safe and timely care to patients.

“All patients should attend appointments this week unless advised otherwise.”

Readers on the Express Facebook page reported some increased waiting times but praised hospital staff for how they coped with the disruption.

Stephanie Teague said: “I was there, the staff were brilliant, not phased and just went back to basics.”

Claire-Louise Davenport said: “I was at the hospital when it caused an issue, I can’t fault the staff at all.

“It was so difficult for them to operate but they did fantastically. Even with the extra workload of not having results and things at their fingertips.”

The Rural Services Network issued a statement expressing concern over the impact of cyber-attacks on doctors’ surgeries in rural communities.

Advice to protect against the virus includes installing system and application updates and anti-virus software and creating backups of important files.