A cyberattack on hospitals in Wirral, England, last November continues to significantly impact waiting times for cancer treatments, with NHS executives predicting the disruption will last for months. The attack forced hospitals to revert to pen and paper operations and cancel appointments, leading to a surge in patients waiting for treatment.
NHS executives have acknowledged that the cyberattack on hospitals in Wirral, northwest England, last November continues to significantly impact waiting times for cancer treatment s, with the disruption expected to last for months. During the attack, which began on November 25, 2024, the main clinical system was taken offline, and by December 5, teams were still struggling to restore systems.
Hospitals reported that criminals gained access through a shared digital gateway service, forcing them to revert to pen and paper operations and cancel outpatient appointments. A week-by-week analysis of the Wirral University Teaching Hospitals (WUTH) trust's progress in meeting NHS waiting time targets revealed a concerning trend in December. The number of patients awaiting cancer treatment surged to its highest level in 2024. The NHS sets specific metrics for all regional trusts regarding the treatment of cancer patients. One key metric is the 62-day referral to treatment (RTT) standard, which aims to provide patients with their first course of treatment within 62 days of being referred for an initial diagnosis. WUTH's December data showed the number of patients waiting 62 days or longer for treatment exceeded 100 every week, a first since June. By December 30, the number had reached a staggering 174, the highest weekly total for the entire year.The trust's performance against the 104-day standard, where cancer patients wait 104 days or longer for their first treatment, also fell to unusually non-compliant levels. During the five weeks of December, the number of 104-day waiters rose to unacceptable levels. WUTH had only recorded two other weeks throughout the year that fell short of this standard, with all others meeting it comfortably. Hayley Kendall, COO and deputy CEO at WUTH trust, stated in a recent board of directors report that clinical divisions are continuously working to reduce patient backlogs awaiting elective treatment. Kendall acknowledged that the cyber incident had a significant impact on elective performance, both through the loss of activity that would have provided treatment/diagnostic and the disruption to waiting times. Performance across RTT, cancer, and diagnostics was affected. Operational teams are working through plans to recover lost activity. Kendall noted that meeting the waiting standards post-COVID remains a work in progress, but the cyberattack's impact is expected to continue affecting patient care throughout January
NHS Cyberattack Cancer Treatment Waiting Times Wirral Hospitals
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