SHA deplores the weekend actions of computer hackers that caused the paralysis of large parts of the NHS in England and Scotland, placed patients at risk, and in some cases brought to a halt some ongoing operative and diagnostic procedures. SHA pays tribute to the NHS staff that coped so magnificently with such interference and those who toiled over the week end to restore services.
SHA notes that the Welsh NHS was not especially affected and believes that this is due in no small measure to the integrated way in which primary and secondary care services are planned, delivered and supported in Wales which removed the internal market and its damaging effects over a decade ago. SHA also understands that the technical resilience of NHS Wales was in no small measure due to the priority given, over a number of years, to investment in NHS Wales IT systems and to the role of its central NHS IT support team.