QEH departments being reconnected to internet after cyber attack

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital says several departments are being be reconnected to the internet following a cyber attack in December.

The hospital annouced the major milestone in its efforts to restore connectivity on Saturday.

“Between Saturday, January 14, and Monday, January 16, 2023, Medical Records, Pharmacy, Laboratory, Radiology, Procurement and a portion of the Finance Department will be reconnected to the internet,” the hospital said.

Below is the full statement from the QEH:

Since the cyber security attack on December 12, 2022, an I.T. team led by MIST in collaboration with
local and international experts, has been working to ensure that the requisite level of cyber security
protection is in place, before systems are restored. The goal is to make the hospital’s cyber security
systems more robust to reduce the likelihood of a future incident.

International experts have assured us that patient information was isolated from the compromised
system, and there is no evidence that personal medical records were accessed during this incident.

Due to the QEH’s disconnection from the Internet, the provision of some services has been affected.

Nevertheless, a portion of our medical equipment can operate independently of the internet, allowing
us to continue providing emergency radiological services for in-patients, emergency blood work
services for in and out-patients, and essential hospital functions. Notably, the patient information is
being processed manually by our committed staff, and we remain committed to resolving this issue
and providing the highest quality patient care possible.

Today, we are pleased to announce a major milestone in our efforts to restore connectivity. Between
Saturday, January 14, and Monday, January 16, 2023, Medical Records, Pharmacy, Laboratory,
Radiology, Procurement and a portion of the Finance Department will be reconnected to the internet.

By Wednesday, January 18, barring any technical challenges, these departments should be fully
operational to the public. Please bear with us as departments may need to reconfigure their standard
operating procedures following this incident. We are also working assiduously towards the other
phases of reconnection across the hospital.

Our goal is to have our systems up and running quickly, but securely, while also being proactive
about cyber security. We appreciate the public’s understanding and patience as we work to resolve
this unfortunate situation.

Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland

Executive Chairman