The NHS cyberattack: you don't know what you've got till it's gone
Hour four of the cyberattack coverage, live on Sky News: the professionalism of staff who put patients first, why "National Hacked Service" was the headline that stuck, and a first read on the scale as the trust count rose and a COBRA meeting was called.
On the day
By late morning the shape of the day was clearer, and this briefing was really about the people doing the work. Whatever the systems were doing, the doctors and nurses on shift had not stopped; if anything, patients would be struck by how much they put themselves last. The headline that stuck with me was the Sun’s, “National Hacked Service”, because it did the thing a good headline does: it reminded people, in one line, how much they rely on something they rarely think about. You do not know what you have got till it is gone, and for a morning the country had a small taste of that.
What I said
The presenter’s questions are paraphrased. My answers are my own words from the recording, lightly edited for reading clarity; every turn has been checked against the recording.
Stephen Dixon paraphrased, from 0:00
Introducing me as an A&E doctor working on the very front line, the presenter asked how much this added to the pressure that doctors already face day to day.
Dr Kishan Rees from the recording, 0:33
It’s the last thing people need, and the last thing doctors and nurses needed. But equally, I think a lot of patients going to A&E will be surprised by the professionalism doctors and nurses have. They hold their jobs in the highest regard, and they put patients first above all else: above going to the toilet, above getting themselves a tea or a coffee, all that sort of stuff.
Stephen Dixon paraphrased, from 0:56
Turning to the papers I had been going through all morning, he said the sheer volume of coverage was a reminder, if one were needed, of how important the NHS is to us.
Dr Kishan Rees from the recording, 1:08
It’s absolutely right. It is critical to the well-functioning of a society and to people being healthy. This is the one that sticks out for me: National Hacked Service. It’s an iconic headline, a very good visual image that reminds people, as you said, how important the NHS is. There’s that old saying, isn’t there: you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. We are temporarily experiencing a loss of the NHS, and it may well show people that they need to appreciate it and value it.
Stephen Dixon paraphrased, from 1:38
Briefly, he asked how much of a concern a hack like this was, given it had not even been aimed at the NHS but had still crippled services across large parts of England and in Scotland.
Dr Kishan Rees from the recording, 1:53
Well, let’s see how it develops. Last night they said it was 20 trusts, then it went up to 40. Amber Rudd seems to think it’s contained, which is promising, but let’s see how it pans out. We don’t really know yet, do we. I heard Roy Lilley saying everything’s backed up, which is good. Some things are crippled, yes, but doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals, as ever, are working hard to counteract it.
Stephen Dixon paraphrased, from 2:24
To close, he brought breaking news: the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, would chair a COBRA meeting on the cyberattack that afternoon.
Broadcast by Sky News, 13 May 2017; clip from the WatMed Media archive, my own upload. Sky News retains the rights in the broadcast. This page carries my own contributions with the presenter’s questions paraphrased, credits the programme, and I will amend or remove on request.