Cyber attack ‘nothing to do with dispute’, says British Medical Association

The British Medical Association (BMA) has defended doctors striking at hospitals running at reduced capacity due to a significant cyber attack.

While some junior doctors have been granted permission to return to work due to safety concerns, a number have continued with their industrial action at trusts in London hit by the attack.

A senior BMA official said that the “cyber attack has nothing to do with the dispute” as medics took to picket lines.

Major hospitals Guys’ and St Thomas’ and King’s in London are continuing to run at reduced capacity following the incident.

The BMA announced that some senior junior doctors would be given permission to work at the hospitals during the walkouts to “prevent dangerous delays to cancer care”, but said that “all other junior doctors, including at these trusts, still can and should strike”.

Speaking at the picket outside St Thomas’ Hospital, Dr Robert Laurenson, co-chairman of the BMA’s Junior Doctors Committee, said: “Our dispute is with the Government over pay, this cyber attack has nothing to do with the dispute.

“We’ve listened to the concerns of the trusts, that’s why we’ve granted a derogation to multiple trusts in south-east London.”

Another doctor said that patient safety was “paramount”, and confirmed junior doctors would return to work should concerns be raised by NHS trusts.

Dr Shiv Sharma, 28, who works in mental health services at another London hospital, said: “Patient safety is absolutely paramount to doctors, if there are any concerns, doctors will be called back to hospital.”

Speaking outside St Thomas’ Hospital, he continued: “What we need to realise is that patients aren’t getting the care they deserve and are unsafe on any non-strike day.

“We used to have real standards in this country, patients used to be seen within four hours in A&E, and now you’re lucky to be seen within 12.”

On Tuesday, the union granted a so-called derogation request, which permits certain medics to work during the strike.

Posting on X, formerly Twitter, it said: “To prevent dangerous delays to cancer care, we are granting a derogation for surgical registrars working on high-risk upper GI (gastrointestinal), head and neck, and lung cancers at three hospital trusts: Lewisham and Greenwich, Guys & St Thomas’ and King’s College Hospital.

“This will help patients who have experienced dangerous delays to their care due to the difficulties of mitigation against the unplanned and malicious cyber attack. We thank NHS England for raising their concerns with us in the interest of patient safety.

“The derogation only applies to surgical registrars in upper GI, head and neck, and lung cancer services at the three trusts listed. All other junior doctors, including at these trusts, still can and should strike.”

Synnovis, which manages blood tests for NHS trusts and GP services in south-east London, was the victim of a cyber attack – understood to have been carried out by Russian group Qilin – on June 3.

Hundreds of operations and appointments have been cancelled in the weeks since the incident.