Qilin Ransomware Attack Still Disrupts London NHS Trust 18 Months Later

Summary

More than 18 months after the June 2024 Qilin attack on Synnovis, SLaM still lacks electronic pathology systems, with 161,560 reports delayed. Sensitive data on nearly one million patients was reportedly exposed; investigations continue.

Key points

The June 2024 Qilin ransomware attack on Synnovis disrupted blood testing across South East London, causing canceled operations and delayed treatment.
As of publication, SLaM had not restored electronic pathology requesting or reporting and was relying on paper processes and manual uploads.
SLaM estimated that 161,560 pathology reports had been delayed by early January 2026 and recorded 122 incidents involving incorrect, unavailable, or delayed results.
The trust warned that its workarounds could lead to delays, transcription errors, and patient misidentification; critical results are communicated by phone.
Reporting indicated that information relating to nearly one million NHS patients may have been stolen and published; many patients were not notified until late 2025.
King’s College Hospital recorded a patient death for which the cyberattack was considered a contributing factor, but said its direct effect on the outcome could not be determined.
The ICO and HSSIB investigations are ongoing. NHS England said services had been restored by the end of 2024, while SLaM’s records show its pathology systems remained unrecovered.

Article Details

Victim Organization: Synnovis
Incident Type: Qilin ransomware attack involving reported theft and publication of sensitive patient data
Data Types Exposed: Sensitive patient information, including information relating to cancer and sexually transmitted infections
Affected Records: Information relating to nearly one million NHS patients was reportedly stolen and published; reporting indicated it may have been exposed.
Operational Impact: Blood testing was disrupted across South East London, leading to canceled operations and delayed treatment, pressure on blood supplies, and ongoing pathology-system disruption at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM). As of early January 2026, SLaM estimated 161,560 delayed pathology reports and recorded 122 patient safety incidents involving incorrect, unavailable, or delayed results. NHS England reported 10,152 postponed acute outpatient appointments and 1,710 postponed elective procedures. A death at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was recorded with the cyberattack considered a contributing factor, though the trust said it could not determine whether it directly affected the outcome.
Ransom Or Extortion: Sensitive patient data was reportedly stolen and published. The article does not state whether a ransom was demanded or paid.
Claim Status: confirmed