Muireann Duffy
The ransomware attack on the HSE's IT systems has caused considerable disruption across the health service, however, some services have been more affected than others.
Gardaí are liaising with the HSE and the National Cyber Security Centre, as well as sharing information with Europol, and all HSE IT systems were shut down on Friday as a precautionary measure.
Without IT systems, many appointments and services have had to be cancelled and the health service has said the disruption could last well into next week, leaving some people confused as to what appointments and services have been cancelled.
The HSE has set up a dedicated webpage to update patients on how they may be impacted depending on where they are in the country and what services they need to avail of.
There is a significant ransomware attack on the HSE IT systems. We have taken the precaution of shutting down all our our IT systems in order to protect them from this attack and to allow us fully assess the situation with our own security partners.
— HSE Ireland (@HSELive) May 14, 2021
Covid vaccinations
The HSE has confirmed appointments for people to receive their Covid vaccine will go ahead as planned. If you have an appointment to receive your jab in the coming days, attend the appointment as normal.
Covid tests
The referral process for Covid tests has been impacted, however, any test appointments for today will go ahead as planned.
If you require a Covid test and do not yet have an appointment, contact your GP. Your GP may advise you to go to a test centre, which you can also do without contacting your GP.
The IT issues also mean there may be a delay with test results, but you should self-isolate until you receive your results.
Contact tracing is still operational, but could also be delayed. If you are a close contact, you will be contacted by a contact tracer who may advise you to attend a test centre.
Emergencies
The National Ambulance Service has confirmed they are operating as normal and continue to take emergency calls.
Emergency Departments (EDs) around the country are open, but there may be delays due to the IT shut down. The public are asked to only attend an ED for emergency situations.
Appointments
Virtual appointments are largely due to go ahead, but some may be changed to phone calls instead.
For in-person hospital appointments, the HSE said there are "substantial cancellations across all outpatient services with widespread cancellation of radiology services". Hospitals are working to contact all patients impacted by cancellations.
Chemotherapy and dialysis services are going ahead as normal.
Disruptions by county
The HSE website also has updates on hospital disruptions by county, so patients can confirm whether they are impacted based on the individual hospital they were due to attend.
The information on specific hospitals is being updated regularly, with the HSE adding that cancelled appointments will be rescheduled as soon as possible.
To view the county-by-county disruptions, visit the dedicated HSE webpage, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click the plus icon next to the relevant county. The drop-down display will then show the disruptions to each hospital in that county.
