London Hospitals Face Blood Shortage After Russian Cyberattack

Following a ransomware attack believed to be orchestrated by the Russian cybercriminal group Qilin, an urgent appeal has been issued across England for O blood-type donors to schedule appointments, reports The Guardian.

NHS Blood and Transplant emphasizes the need for O blood-type donations as they are universally compatible for all patients. Due to the cyber-attack, affected hospitals are facing challenges in matching patients’ blood at the usual frequency.

Last week, several London hospitals, including King’s College Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ and primary care services declared a critical incident, resulting in the cancellation of operations, tests, and the inability to carry out blood transfusions. The attack on the pathology firm Synnovis has lead to the situation.

The NHS underscores the importance of replenishing blood stocks regularly, as blood has a shelf life of 35 days. Consequently, a higher volume of O blood-type donations will be needed in the coming weeks to meet demand.

“NHS staff are continuing to go above and beyond to minimise the significant disruption to patients following the ransomware cyber-attack on Synnovis earlier this week,” said Professor Stephen Powis, the medical director for NHS England.

On May 3, NATO and EU have expressed solidarity with Germany and the Czech Republic in connection with cyber attacks carried out by a Russian hacker group.