The Qilin ransomware attack on Synnovis last year caused critical delays in pathology services across London NHS trusts, contributing to the death of a patient at King’s College Hospital. The breach exposed millions of records, halted thousands of operations, and cost Synnovis over £32 million, highlighting serious vulnerabilities in UK healthcare cyber defences.
Last year’s cyberattack on Synnovis, a major pathology services provider for the NHS in London, has been officially linked to the death of a patient at King’s College Hospital. The incident, carried out by the Russian-speaking ransomware group Qilin, severely disrupted diagnostic services across multiple NHS trusts, including King’s College, Guy’s and St Thomas’, and Lewisham and Greenwich hospitals, as well as numerous GP practices. The attack caused critical delays in blood test results, which were identified as a key factor contributing to the patient’s unexpected death during the cyber incident.
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust conducted a thorough safety investigation, revealing multiple contributing factors to the patient’s death, including the prolonged wait for blood test results due to the compromised pathology services. The trust shared the findings with the patient’s family, and Synnovis CEO Mark Dollar expressed deep sorrow, saying, “Our hearts go out to the family involved.” This incident represents one of the first confirmed cases in the UK where a patient fatality has been associated with a cyberattack on healthcare infrastructure.
The impact of the attack was extensive and wide-ranging. It halted blood testing services, forced the postponement of 1,710 operations across affected trusts, and disrupted over 10,000 outpatient appointments. Sky News reported delays to approximately 1,100 cancer treatments, compounding the already critical pressures faced by NHS providers. The shortages extended to blood supplies, forcing healthcare workers to rely on universal O-type blood, which contributed to a national shortage of this vital resource as explained by NHS England. Nearly 600 patient safety incidents were attributed to the attack, with two classified as severe, indicating permanent harm or life-threatening delays.
Qilin reportedly demanded a $50 million ransom, which Synnovis did not pay, prompting the group to publish nearly 400GB of stolen sensitive data online via darknet and messaging platforms. This leaked data included patient names, dates of birth, NHS numbers, blood test descriptions, and financial arrangements between hospitals and Synnovis, raising profound concerns about patient confidentiality and data security. The enormous scale of the breach affected tests dating back several years and included records from private healthcare providers served by Synnovis, underscoring the far-reaching consequences of the attack.
Financially, the repercussions for Synnovis were devastating. The cyberattack generated estimated costs exceeding £32 million, more than seven times the company’s 2023 annual profits of £4.3 million. Recovery remains ongoing, with Synnovis recently completing the first phase of its restoration efforts. Despite the massive disruption, the company expects to regain profitability through a long-term outsourcing contract with the NHS trusts it serves. However, investigations persist, and regulatory fines from the Information Commissioner’s Office remain a possibility.
This tragedy follows a grim precedent of fatal consequences linked to ransomware attacks on healthcare facilities. Notably, in 2020 a ransomware attack on University Hospital Düsseldorf in Germany forced emergency services to reroute a critical patient to a hospital 32 kilometres away, resulting in her death. Experts have emphasised the urgent need for timely cybersecurity updates and an independent review of healthcare digital security. Dr Saif Abed, a cybersecurity specialist, warned that other deaths linked to such incidents may remain undetected due to insufficient investigations, calling for greater scrutiny of NHS cybersecurity resilience.
The Qilin group operates a ransomware-as-a-service model, leasing malware to affiliates and targeting organisations predominantly in Western countries while based in Russia. While generally tolerated by Russian authorities, these gangs function without direct state control. Cybersecurity research indicates that last year alone victims paid a record $1.1 billion in ransomware payments globally, highlighting the lucrative and growing nature of this threat.
The cyberattack on Synnovis and the broader NHS services underlines the increasing vulnerabilities faced by healthcare systems relying extensively on digital infrastructure and private providers. It starkly illustrates the human cost of cybercrime in healthcare, with widespread operational disruption translating directly into delays and risks for patient care that can, tragically, prove fatal.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://hackread.com/qilin-ransomware-attack-nhs-causes-patient-death-uk/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/uk-health-officials-say-patients-death-partially-down-to-cyberattack-2025-06-26/ – British health officials have confirmed that a cyberattack on diagnostic services provider Synnovis in June 2024 contributed to the death of a patient at King’s College Hospital in London. The attack, linked to the Qilin ransomware gang, disrupted the UK healthcare network, causing prolonged wait times for medical test results that factored into the patient’s death. Synnovis’ CEO expressed deep sorrow over the incident. The perpetrators reportedly demanded a $50 million ransom, which Synnovis did not pay, leading to stolen data being posted on the dark web. The cyberattack generated over £32 million ($43 million) in damages and hindered operations at several major London hospitals. Medical service providers are frequent targets of ransomware due to the critical nature of their operations. This case marks one of the first confirmed instances of a patient death associated with a hacking incident in the UK. Similar attacks in the past have been linked to fatalities in Alabama in 2019 and Germany in 2020.
- https://www.ft.com/content/773c031b-a4e9-4120-bea6-d3d4c3eecdc4 – A cyberattack on the NHS in June 2024, attributed to the Russian-speaking group Qilin, led to the death of a patient due to delayed blood test results. The attack targeted Synnovis, a pathology service provider for NHS hospitals, causing significant disruption at King’s College Hospital and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. Qilin released 400GB of stolen data, and the breach resulted in 170 reported incidents of patient harm, mostly categorized as ‘low harm.’ However, one patient’s death has now been officially linked to the attack. Mark Dollar, Synnovis’ CEO, and a government spokesperson both expressed condolences, highlighting the profound risks such cyberattacks pose. Cybersecurity expert Dr. Saif Abed suggested that other deaths may have gone unreported due to insufficient investigations, calling for an independent inquiry into NHS digital security. This incident underscores the increasing vulnerabilities in healthcare infrastructure as reliance on private providers and digital systems grows. An ongoing law enforcement investigation is examining the full extent of the attack and its consequences.
- https://apnews.com/article/cdf59beb5b36a8eedd1470732e10ac8c – A ransomware attack believed to be executed by the Russian cyber gang Qilin has disrupted several hospitals in London, causing operations and appointments to be canceled. The group targeted Synnovis, a pathology lab service provider for the National Health Service, leading to significant disruptions in services, particularly blood transfusions. The incident, labeled as a ‘critical’ and ‘major impact’ event, particularly affected King’s College and Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital trusts. This type of ransomware attack paralyzed computer systems, severely hindering operations within the healthcare trust. Synnovis is still working to understand the attack, which was reported to the police. Ransomware, a costliest and disruptive form of cybercrime, is often difficult to combat as many gangs operate from former Soviet states, beyond Western legal reach. Qilin leases its malware to affiliates, having listed over 100 victims, according to a cyber threat intelligence company.
- https://www.ft.com/content/d2be7c65-bf44-4a7d-9791-6deafe66659f – The cost of a ransomware attack against the laboratory services provider Synnovis in 2024 exceeded more than seven times the company’s most recent annual profits. The attack, which took place in June 2024, generated estimated costs of £32.7 million, compared to profits of £4.3 million in 2023. This incident caused one of the largest patient data breaches in the NHS in recent times and led to cancellations or delays in thousands of operations and appointments at various NHS hospitals and clinics in London. The Russian cyberattack group Qilin claimed responsibility, releasing 400 GB of stolen information. Synnovis has been working slowly to restore its systems, having recently completed the ‘first phase’ of its recovery plan. The company expects to return to profitability thanks to a long-term outsourcing contract. Synnovis is a public-private partnership between Synlab and the trusts of Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College Hospital NHS. The ongoing investigation could still result in fines from the Information Commissioner’s Office.
- https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jun/21/records-on-300m-patient-interactions-with-nhs-stolen-in-russian-hack – It is unclear at this stage if the hack involves only hospitals in the trusts or is more widespread. The NHS’s anxiety about the impact of the attack increased on Friday after Qilin acted overnight on a threat to put stolen NHS data into the public domain, an indication that Synnovis has refused to pay a reported $50m (£40m) ransom. It is as yet unclear exactly what data, or how much of the haul, the ransomware group has made public. But the stolen data includes details of the results of blood tests conducted on patients having many types of surgery, including organ transplants, or suspected of having a sexually transmitted infection, or who have had a blood transfusion, well-placed sources have disclosed. In a development that will cause anxiety among patients who have received private healthcare in recent years, Qilin’s haul is understood to include records of tests that people have had at multiple private healthcare providers. It is not clear which private healthcare firms Synnovis – a joint venture between the pathology firm Synlab and two major London acute hospital trusts – works for. The number of test results in the data that Qilin seized in the hack on 3 June is so huge because it covers tests that patients have had going back a significant number of years, sources say. The ransomware group posted 104 files of data overnight on a messaging platform. The Guardian was unable to verify the contents of the posted files, which contained a total of about 380GB of data. The post was topped with an image of the Synnovis logo, a description of the company and a link to its website. The BBC reported that the files contained patient names, dates of birth, NHS numbers and descriptions of tests. Typically, if a ransomware gang posts data it has stolen it is a sign that the victim has declined to pay a ransom to decrypt its IT systems and delete the stolen data. The hack has caused huge problems for the King’s College and Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital trusts as well as scores of GP practices across south-east London, which between them care for 2 million patients, because it has left them able to order only a fraction of the number of blood tests they normally do.
- https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/jun/05/russian-group-behind-london-hospitals-cyber-attack-says-expert – Typically, ransomware gangs extract data from the victim’s IT system and demand a payment for its return. Data from the hack of Synlab’s Italian branch was published online in full last month, indicating that no ransom payment had been made. It is not illegal in the UK to pay ransomware gangs, although it is against the law to pay ransoms if the affected entity knows or suspects that the proceeds will be used to fund terrorism. Martin said most ransomware gangs operate within Russia, albeit without direct influence from the Russian state. “Most of these groups are Russian-hosted and tolerated, but not directed by the state. Russia is a giant safe haven for cybercrime,” he said. Qilin is known as a ransomware-as-a-service group, which hires out malware to fellow criminals in exchange for a cut of the proceeds and also vets who is targeted. Last year, victims of ransomware attacks paid out a record $1.1bn to assailants, according to the cryptocurrency research firm Chainalysis – double the 2022 total.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative is recent, published on June 28, 2025, and reports on a patient death linked to a cyberattack on Synnovis in June 2024. The earliest known publication date of similar content is June 26, 2025, by Reuters. The report is based on official investigations, which typically warrant a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were identified. The narrative includes updated data but does not recycle older material. No republishing across low-quality sites or clickbait networks was found. The content appears original and timely.
Quotes check
Score:
9
Notes:
The direct quote from Synnovis CEO Mark Dollar, “Our hearts go out to the family involved,” is consistent with statements from other reputable sources. No variations in wording were found, indicating the quote is accurately reported. No earlier usage of this exact quote was identified, suggesting it is original to this report.
Source reliability
Score:
7
Notes:
The narrative originates from Hackread.com, a cybersecurity-focused platform. While it provides detailed coverage, it is not as widely recognised as major outlets like the Financial Times or Reuters. The report cites official investigations and includes direct quotes from Synnovis CEO Mark Dollar, enhancing its credibility. However, the platform’s limited reach may affect the overall reliability score.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative aligns with known facts about the June 2024 ransomware attack on Synnovis, which disrupted NHS services and led to patient harm. The claim that a patient’s death was linked to the cyberattack is consistent with recent reports from reputable sources. The language and tone are appropriate for the topic and region. No excessive or off-topic details are present, and the structure is coherent. No inconsistencies or suspicious elements were identified.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is recent, original, and consistent with known facts about the June 2024 ransomware attack on Synnovis. It includes accurate quotes and aligns with reports from reputable sources. The source, Hackread.com, provides detailed coverage, though it is less widely recognised than major outlets. Overall, the report is credible and timely.
