Advanced cyber-attack: NHS doctors’ paperwork piles up

A ransomware attack on NHS supplier Advanced has caused a backlog of medical paperwork which could take months to process. The attack, first identified in August, forced medical staff to resort to pen and paper for care notes, affecting patient care and causing home visits to be delayed. Seven of Advanced’s health systems, including software for patient check-ins and the NHS 111 service, were taken offline. While some areas are returning to normal, the inputting of a backlog of hundreds of thousands of patient records could take an estimated six months.