The NHS is bracing for ongoing disruptions following a significant IT outage that has affected GP services and pharmacies across the UK.
While efforts are underway to restore normal operations, the effects of the outage, caused by a faulty update to CrowdStrike antivirus software, are expected to persist into the coming week.
Microsoft says the CrowdStrike IT outage affected 8.5 million Windows devices.
This caused flight delays and cancellations with hospitals, GPs, pharmacies, banks, supermarkets and millions of businesses also impacted.
However, to many peoples disappointment, Microsoft Teams remained unaffected.
For people with diabetes relying on timely access to healthcare, this situation presents several challenges.
The IT outage, which began on Friday, has forced many GPs to revert to using paper prescriptions and has led to the cancellation of routine appointments.
EMIS, the platform many GPs use to manage appointments and patient records, including the sending of prescriptions to pharmacies, was among the systems affected.
As a result, GPs have been unable to access medical records or provide patients with recent test results, limiting the ability to offer comprehensive care.
Dr Sarah Jane Cowley, a GP in North London, highlighted the strain on services, describing the situation as “not sustainable for very long.”
- NHS rolls out hybrid closed loop systems for people with type 1 diabetes
- NHS deals with 3,000 hospital admissions each day due to obesity
- New NHS deal sparks concerns of data misuse
Similarly, Dr Fari Ahmad from Wilmslow, Cheshire, warned that the backlog of appointments is likely to cause more issues as the week progresses.
For people with diabetes who often require regular appointments and timely prescriptions, this disruption could lead to delays in receiving essential medications such as insulin and adjustments to treatment plans.
Some people with diabetes have mentioned not being able to receive prescriptions for their diabetes medications.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Grant Ciccone from South East London stated he was unable to get an insulin prescription for his type 1 diabetes due to the computer outage.
Timeline of events
Friday, 19 July 2024
- Morning: A faulty update to CrowdStrike antivirus software causes a global IT outage, affecting various sectors including healthcare, travel, and banking.
- Midday: NHS England begins to experience significant disruptions, with GPs and pharmacies unable to access digital systems.
- Afternoon: Routine GP appointments are cancelled, and many practices revert to using paper prescriptions. Pharmacies cannot access digital prescription records.
- Evening: CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz announces that the issue has been fixed but warns that full system restoration will take some time.
Saturday, 20 July 2024
- Morning: Many GP practices, including the White Rose Medical Practice in Barnsley, report that they are still unable to log into EMIS, affecting appointment bookings and access to patient records.
- 09:00 BST: The majority of NHS systems, including EMIS, begin to come back online but are running slower than usual.
- Throughout the day: Community pharmacies report that their digital systems are largely back online, but processing backlogs remain.
- 16:00 BST: Over 70 flights in and out of UK airports are cancelled due to ongoing IT issues affecting airlines.
Sunday, 21 July 2024
- Pharmacy: Deputy Chairman of the National Pharmacy Association, Olivier Picard, mentions ongoing problems with receiving digital prescriptions.
Monday, 22 July 2024
- Restoration efforts: Ongoing efforts to fully restore all affected IT systems continue. GP practices and pharmacies work through backlogs and manage delayed appointments and prescriptions. CrowdStrike say a “significant” number of affected systems are now fixed.
- Cybersecurity warnings: Cybersecurity experts, including CrowdStrike, warn of scams exploiting the chaos by offering bogus software updates potentially containing malware.
Prescription backlogs
Pharmacies have also been significantly impacted, unable to access digital prescription records since the outage.
While many systems have started to come back online, the backlog in processing prescriptions remains a critical issue.
Nick Kaye, chairman of the National Pharmacy Association, acknowledged that while systems are mostly operational again, the disruption is far from over.
Olivier Picard, his deputy, mentioned that pharmacies are still facing continuous problems, particularly with digital prescriptions issued after the outage began.
- Slapping therapy: Man in court as woman who stopped taking insulin dies at workshop
- Ozempic butt: Women claim Ozempic caused their bum to ‘completely disappear’
- Appetite traits in childhood linked to eating disorders in teen years
Advice for people with diabetes
Given the current situation, take proactive steps to manage their health during this period of disruption:
- Attend appointments: Unless informed otherwise by your GP, attend your appointments as planned. Practices are working to rebook cancelled appointments and manage the backlog.
- Prepare for delays: Be aware that there may be delays in receiving test results and prescriptions. Ensure you have an adequate supply of medication to cover any potential gaps.
- Communicate with your healthcare team: If you experience any issues with your medications or need urgent care, contact your GP practice or pharmacy directly. Many are offering emergency appointments despite the ongoing IT issues.
- Be cautious of scams: Cybersecurity experts have warned of potential scams exploiting the chaos caused by the outage. Be wary of unsolicited emails, text messages or software updates and verify any communications you receive about your health.
What’s next?
On the topic of the CrowdStrike outage, Microsoft have advised turning affected devices off and on up-to 15 times.
However, systems are only slowly coming back to full functionality.
The NHS is working diligently to resolve issues and restore functionality of all of its digital systems.
Services are now also dealing with a backlog caused by the issue that will take some time to clear, according to the British Medical Association (BMA).
Speaking last week, Dr David Wrigley, deputy chair of GPC England, which represents GPs at the BMA said: “Even if we could guarantee it [the software issue] could be fully fixed on Monday, GPs would still need time to catch up from lost work over the weekend, and NHS England should make clear to patients that normal service cannot be resumed immediately.”
The situation highlights the fragility of tech infrastructure in the healthcare sector and the need for robust contingency plans to support patients during periods of technical failure.
