NHS Trusts have boosted IT spending by a collective £151,940,223 since the infamous WannaCry attack took place in May 2017, according to official figures obtained via the Freedom of Information (FOI) by the Parliament Street think tank.
The research revealed that 65 NHS Trusts spent at total of £612,128,793 on IT in the 2018/19 financial year. This compares to a total spend of £494,607,408 in the 2017/18 financial year, and £460,188,570 in the 2016/17 financial year directly preceding the WannaCry Attack. The worldwide ransomware attack targeted computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, affecting at least 80 of the 236 trusts across England, leaving the NHS with a £73m IT bill.
The highest reported increase came from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust which disclosed a boost of almost £11 million (£10,873,132) rising from £7,723,868 in FY 16/17 to £18,597,000 in FY 18/19. Similarly, The Royal Marsden reported an IT spending increase of over £10million (£10,795,589) rising from £5,476,357 in FY 16/17 to £16,271,946 in FY 18/19.
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust boosted its spending on IT by £7,934,000, rising from 11,577,000 in FY 16/17 rising to £19,511,000 FY18/19. The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust saw an increase of £7.5 million, up from £16,729,000 in FY 16/17 to £24,249,691 in FY 18/19.
The news comes following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement of a one-off £1.8 billion cash boost for NHS hospitals, which we can expect will be partly used to further bolster IT security, training and equipment.
Sheila Flavell, COO, FDM Group comments: “Building an NHS fit for the future means training and equipping doctors, nurses and medical professionals with the very latest digital skills. Key to this effort is ensuring existing staff have the opportunity to reskill in critical areas like big data and cyber security, as well as recruiting staff from more diverse backgrounds. This approach will simultaneously drive efficiencies in the health service, whilst having a real impact on patient experiences.”
About the Parliament Street think tank
Parliament Street is one of the UK’s most influential think tanks. The organisation produces policy papers, research and recommendations which influence policy makers. In addition, Parliament Street regularly hosts parliamentary debates in Parliament on the latest topics impacting public issues and the media agenda.
