Overview

• Health authorities confirmed on June 26 that a June 2024 ransomware attack by the Qilin gang on Synnovis led to a patient’s unexpected death at King’s College Hospital.
• The breach crippled pathology services for three months, resulting in more than 1,000 postponed operations and 2,000 cancelled outpatient appointments across London trusts.
• A subsequent review found 170 patients suffered harm from diagnostic delays, with most cases classified as low severity.
• Attackers exfiltrated sensitive patient data and later published it on the dark web, inflicting £33 million in losses on Synnovis.
• The UK Government has since urged all NHS suppliers to adopt multi-factor authentication and strengthen cyber defences for critical healthcare infrastructure.