Staff revert to paper systems as IT outage hits hospitals

• Two major NHS hospitals in the South West, Cheltenham and Gloucestershire, experienced a significant IT outage on Wednesday, forcing staff to resort to paper systems.
• The NHS trust said the outage was due to a server issue, not a cyber-attack.
• This IT failure occurred just before a five-day resident doctor strike, which NHS leaders have warned could compromise patient safety.
• The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has urged the British Medical Association to suspend its guidance advising doctors not to disclose strike participation, citing difficulties in maintaining safe patient care.
• There is an ongoing dispute between the BMA and NHS England regarding the maintenance of routine care during the strikes, with the union arguing it would endanger patients.

IN FULL

IT failure leaves staff at two hospitals relying on paper days before doctors strike