The UK healthcare sector holds detailed records of over 65 million people. This attracts the attention of ransomware gangs and private businesses. Government reports show that 81% of providers experienced ransomware attacks in 2022. These incidents increased by 63% from January to April 2025. The entire syndicate is complex and often disrupts operations through advanced digital systems.
This can lead to appointment cancellations, records theft, erosion of trust, and treatment delays. Health insurers pay illegitimate bills, and they have to invest more in approval processes. The sector has to invest in modern cybersecurity tools and spread awareness. They must have quick response plans in place and promote healthcare IT security in the UK.
Why ransomware?
NHS ransomware threats have increased recently, with gangs combining their efforts to boost the success rate. This sector employs over 1 million people and serves close to 70 million people. Gangs prefer ransomware because it is less expensive, offers high returns, and provides a global reach. It causes high pressure on victims, forcing them to pay the demanded amounts. Recent ransomware attacks in healthcare involve data encryption. This makes it impossible for victims to read their data, and gangs often steal it and threaten to leak it.
Attack channels used by criminal gangs differ, but Telegram fraud has increased lately. Popular techniques used in this channel include company impersonation and scams. Gangs pretend to be insurance or health provider companies. They present enticing opportunities like discounted services or products. These cybercriminals prefer Telegram because it offers anonymity and has a large user base. Users tend to trust private chats, which lures them to share private information with gangs. This allows them to perform complex scams to steal money.
Why ransomware gangs target the UK Healthcare system
Various stakeholders in the UK have invested more than £338 million to strengthen monitoring power against NHS ransomware threats. 2025 data shows that the sector faced over 100 million attacks in three months. This makes it the third most targeted country globally. Several reasons make ransomware gangs target the UK Healthcare system.
A mix of old and new technology
Some providers use old systems while others use new or a mix of both. The system is also complex, connecting billions of devices and individuals. The results are weak cyber resilience in UK healthcare.
Valuable databases
The UK healthcare sector’s database contains over 80 million records. Based on data, hospitals in the UK generate about 50 petabytes of data annually. Data from health-based data banks exceeds 30 petabytes. One cyber attack on a hospital could lead to millions of GB in data loss.
Insufficient online security budgets
Healthcare IT security in the UK is weak because stakeholders allocate insufficient budgets. The government is expected to spend £204.9 billion in the 2024/25 financial year. The private healthcare sector generated £12.4 billion in 2023. Despite this, very little is budgeted for cybersecurity.
Sensitivity of services offered
The UK healthcare system offers sensitive services that cannot be delayed. Patients can’t be delayed for surgery, emergencies, appointments, etc. Gangs understand this sensitivity and take advantage of the system. They know the system is always under pressure due to demands. Stakeholders would be willing to part with ransom demands.
How to improve cyber resilience in UK healthcare
The rate of attacks has been increasing year after year due to weak cyber resilience in UK healthcare. Nevertheless, stakeholders have a chance to improve the systems. These steps will help resist ransomware gangs that work around the clock to unleash attacks:
- Training – Training should precede every other cybersecurity measure. It helps workers understand offensive and defensive protection measures.
- Cybersecurity technology – Providers and the government should move from old technology. They should embrace the new and invest more in it.
- Data backups – Stakeholders should not just think about backups, but strong backup systems. Measures like encryption help protect the data and avoid ransom.
- System updates – System updates should start from devices to accounts, servers, and third-party connections.
- Partnerships – The government should partner with the private sector, including hospitals, innovators, funders, and IT experts. They can help create a resilient UH healthcare system.
- Create responsive systems – Create a quick response system and explain the procedures to workers. Train the public on how to report attacks and take the initial steps.
How ransomware gangs expose the UK healthcare system
The emotional effect of ransomware attacks in the UK is more than the loss of data that hospitals may experience. These gangs change system settings, making it impossible for providers to access information. If ransom is denied, they may delete the information, which worsens the situation.
In some incidents, gangs command the system and may redirect ambulances to the wrong places. This often causes loss of life and an increase in management costs. Life-saving surgeries get delayed, and thousands of appointments are cancelled.
Patients fail to book appointments, and the system experiences downtime when everyone begins to log in. One cyber attack on hospital costs millions in terms of system restoration and ransom payment. The public mistrusts the system, and their confidence in good healthcare services decreases.
Conclusion
The UK government invested more in cybersecurity after realizing the risks caused by ransomware gangs. These cybercriminals target this system because it’s weak and contains high-value data. One cyber attack on a hospital leads to millions in losses. Consistent training, cybersecurity awareness, and the use of modern technology can help prevent attacks. The sector should work together with other sectors to innovate, create resilient systems, and reduce vulnerabilities.