Essex Hospital Patient Records Stolen in Cyber Attack: What Patients Should Know

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed that patient records were stolen in a cyber attack. The attack targeted Synnovis, a third-party company that handles data for the trust. Around 2,380 patient test records were compromised. The trust operates Southend and other Essex hospitals.

If you have received medical care or testing at hospitals run by Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, your test records may have been accessed by attackers. This could include blood test results, scan records, or other medical testing information stored by the Synnovis system.

Here is what you should do right now:

1. Watch for any letters or emails from Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust about this breach. Read them carefully and follow their instructions.
2. Be extremely cautious of any phone calls, emails, or text messages claiming to be from the NHS or your hospital. Scammers often use stolen medical records to make their fake messages seem real.
3. Do not click links or download attachments in unexpected messages, even if they mention your medical history or test results.
4. If you receive suspicious contact, call your hospital directly using the phone number from their official website or your appointment letters. Do not use phone numbers provided in unexpected messages. Going forward, ask your medical providers how they protect your information and whether they use third-party companies to store data. Keep records of your medical appointments and tests so you can spot any fraudulent activity on your medical records. Report any suspicious contact immediately to both your healthcare provider and Action Fraud, the UK's fraud reporting service.