The mainstream and social media are flooded with talk about the huge cyber-attack on the NHS, with numerous hospitals and even GP surgeries affected, operations cancelled and people told not to attend even A&E except in the most dire circumstances.
Let’s be clear – there are no perfect defences against hacking and cyber-attack. But for this many facilities to be taken down simultaneously is a sign of a system that was already under extreme stress. And for that, the Tories must take responsibility.
While the Tories have been perfectly happy to lie about their NHS spending, even when they’ve received multiple rebukes from the UK Statistics Authority for their false claims, the reality is that real-terms NHS spending has fallen since 2010 – and their claim of putting £10 billion extra into the Health Service was rubbished even by the Tory chair of the Commons Health Committee.
Even the money the Tories do put in, they suck out again via ‘Treasury clawbacks’.
The NHS has lost thousands of nurses since the Tories entered Downing Street – 2,700 just in 2016 – and their decision to cut the bursary for student nurses – which Labour will reverse – has led to a sharp fall in nurses entering training.
Back-office cuts are taking their toll as crucial admin functions founder, worsening the financial crisis.
GPs are under enormous strain and thousands are choosing to retire or change job, leading to a huge 12.2% shortfall in GP numbers.
Accident and Emergency (A&E) waiting times have increased massively – more than doubling in just three years.
Waiting times for non-emergency operations have reached record levels and are expected to double next year if the Tories remain in government:
The NHS is lurching from one crisis to another. Like a virus-weakened host, its defences were lowered and just waiting to be overwhelmed by hackers.
And Jeremy Hunt has already said there will be no extra cash for our starved and weakened Health Service under a Tory government.
As cyber-security analyst Graham Cluley told BBC News today,
The NHS is vulnerable because..it hasn’t invested enough computer security. They’re using old computers, old systems.
Well obviously. When the NHS can’t afford its core, life-saving staff and services, there is simply no way it’s going to be able to even think about keeping on top of IT security. If you can’t afford nurses and vital operations, you’re not going to have money to spend on the latest operating systems and defences.
In other words, a Tory government is the equivalent of an HIV infection for the NHS – and Tories have no interest in providing the treatment to prevent systems being weakened until there’s a full-blown collapse of its systems.
BBC News and other media outlets are busily spinning this as incidental, as if the fact that this is a global attack the effects on the NHS are merely incidental. That’s completely misleading.
Today’s attack might not have been specifically targeted by criminals, but that’s utterly irrelevant. Germs are everywhere, but it’s those with a weakened immune system who are most likely to catch a disease.
Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile, was on the right side of history again, warning just this morning about the importance of cyber-security during his landmark Chatham House speech.
The collapse of NHS systems is a massive blow for patients and the health staff they depend on. But it’s also a huge and timely wake-up call to the people of this country as they prepare to go to the polling booths next month.
The basic truth is this: you can never trust a Tory with the NHS.
So thank your lucky stars that you have an opportunity to purge the infection on June the 8th – and don’t waste it.
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According to the Royal Society of Medicine, 30,000 people a year die avoidable deaths as a direct result of the Conservative Party intentionally underfunding the NHS.
Don’t let a member of your family be the next victim of the Conservative Party.
Vote Labour.
Reblogged this on disabledsingleparent.
Tweeted @melissacade68
Apparently 90% of NHS PCs are still running XP (FFS). XP hasn’t been supported by Microsoft so no security patches for the last 3 years. In addition this is by no means the first time this has happened.
I thought we were supposed to be able to rely on Theresa May to keep us and the country’s infrastructure especially against known threats.
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/3002560/barts-health-nhs-trust-admits-its-windows-xp-pcs-have-been-infected-with-ransomware#disqus_thread
Gaynor Lloyd is happy for anyone to use her submission to the NHS data guardian .
And you should check out John listers article on the evidence base for STPs in the NHS.
Adds grist to your mill.
Roger Steer
I really hope the Labour Party are going to hold the Conservatives to account over this. The Tory government’s chronic lack of funding for the NHS has consequences.
Even Trident subs use Windows XP.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a19061/britains-doomsday-subs-run-windows-xp/
So much for Fallon’s mantra about the first duty of a government is to protect it’s citizens. Never trust the Tories to keep us safe.
Dear God!
What next? The Army using carrier pigeons? Wouldn’t surprise me.
‘World class’ destroyers with engines that don’t work. Aircraft carriers without aircraft. Trident missiles that go where they want, instead of where they’re directed…
I’ll bet them Russkies & N.Koreans are terrified of us.
Jesus wept.
“While the Tories have been perfectly happy to lie about their NHS spending, even when they’ve received multiple rebukes from the UK Statistics Authority for their false claims, the reality is that real-terms NHS spending has fallen since 2010 – and their claim of putting £10 billion extra into the Health Service was rubbished even by the Tory chair of the Commons Health Committee.”
Not just the NHS, is it? Dummkopf-Schmitt has misled parliament and been rebuked by the O.N.S. (More than once IIRC) for lying through his teeth about something like 800k claimants coming off one of the disability benefits or other (I’m sorry, I can’t remember exactly which).
And look at how many £££Millions have been WRITTEN OFF by the useless IT for the useless & utterly shambolic Universal Credit, which is causing as much (If not more) harm than good. Fortunately, that hasn’t been hacked – YET. Small mercies, eh?
They’re killing people. In my opinion, if a government knows that their policies are directly (Or even indirectly) responsible for the deaths of thousands of people, yet they do nothing to even attempt to rectify it – in fact, they exacerbate the problem by lying about it, and indeed profiting from it – then they’re guilty of mass murder.
You just can’t trust a toera…Sorry, tory, full stop.
For those thinking of voting for them for the ridiculous reasons such as: “That Corbyn’s got a beard, doesn’t wear a tie, or sing the national dirge…Sorry, anthem etc”… Then I sincerely hope you don’t lose your job, or become ill, if those self-serving snides get back in.
Because if you do, tomorrow you’ll get what you’ll be inflicting on those less fortunate today.
Reblogged this on Britain Isn't Eating.
I’m attacking everybody. I’m legendary. I leave them paralyzed. If you ain’t one of us it gets worse. -Joe Black, BASc ISS, NSA 4011, Digital Targeter, Certified Ethical Hacker #nhscyberattack #BlackCybersecurity