Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has he made of the recent cyber attack on Pitney Bowes and its impact on the primary care provision within the (a) East Lancashire CCG and (b) East Lancashire hospitals NHS trust.

Pitney Bowes machines are not connected to National Health Service networks and therefore no effect has been seen to any NHS equipment. We are aware that East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust’s franking machines were affected and contingency plans were immediately actioned. This resulted in the Clinical Commissioning Group and a few other local companies franking the mail for the hospital in order to ensure patients received their letters.

Both East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group and East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust have confirmed that there was no impact to the provision of care as a result of the recent malware attack.