MPs criticise the rate of progress on Cyber Security for the NHS

MPs have warned there is a lot of work to be done to improve cyber security after last year’s WannaCry attack on the NHS and have criticised the government’s low response to action.
With no adequate response and communication plan in place last year, the Department of Health and Social Care have made some progress in regards to communication, but one year on the plans to implement lessons are still to be agreed, and the financial impact from the cyber-attack is still unknown.

Committee chair Meg Hillier comments “I am struck by how ill-prepared some NHS trusts were for WannaCry, in many cases failing to act on warnings to patch exposed systems because of the anticipated impact on other IT and medical equipment. Government must get a grip on the vulnerabilities of, and challenges facing local organisations, as well as the financial implications of WannaCry and future attacks across the NHS.”

Commenting on the PAC’s report, director of Development and Operations at NHS Providers, Ben Clacy, warned: “With no indication that there will be the capital available to carry out the required upgrades and changes, progress is being hampered. Cyber security must be a priority so it is vital that the capital investment needed is protected from plugging gaps in day to day spending.”