Former gymnast who had leg amputation cancelled after NHS cyber attack calls for culprits to be ‘charged with murder’
The 23-year-old's operation at Blackpool’s Victoria Hospital was suddenly cancelled after a seven month wait
A FORMER gymnast whose leg amputation was cancelled by the NHS cyber attack said the culprits should be “charged with murder’’ if someone dies.
Jessica Laughton, 23, arrived at hospital on Friday morning after a nine-hour ambulance trip from home and was expecting to have surgery yesterday.
She had gone through all the pre-op procedures and blood tests when the operation was suddenly cancelled at Blackpool’s Victoria Hospital.
Jessica said: “I was in floods of tears as I’d psyched myself up for it. It wasn’t having my tonsils out I was having my left leg amputated.
“Some patients could have been in a life-or-death situation and if people die because of what hackers have done they should be charged with murder.”
Jessica, of Driffield, East Yorkshire, needed surgery after developing a pain condition as a consequence of breaking her ankle in competition ten years ago.
She said: “It would’ve made life a lot easier. Who knows when it’ll happen now?’’
Case study two
It was a damn nuisance
Patient Ron Grimshaw
RON Grimshaw was pulled out of an MRI scanner during a test for prostate cancer after staff learned of the attack on computer systems.
He was just ten minutes in when the test had to be terminated at Lister Hospital in Stevenage, Herts.
Ron, 80 said: “The nurses were saying something about a cyber attack meaning systems were down.
“They weren’t sure when it was going to start again so I waited. It never happened so I went home.
"Unbelievable.
“You don’t expect to go to hospital in the middle of a cyber attack. Damn nuisance.”
Case study three
I fell prey to idiots
Patient David James
COMPANY boss David James blasted the cyber “idiots” after he went to hospital for a private knee op only for it to be axed.
David, 61, stormed: “They could have done some real damage but at least I’m one of the lucky ones — it’s just my knee.”
He was about to undergo surgery at James Paget Hospital in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, when its computers crashed.
David said the only consolation was the car park barriers were stuck upright as he drove home to nearby Burgh Castle.
He said: “I didn’t have to pay the extortionate charge.”
Case study four
Whole day in hospital
Patient Richard Harvey
WHEELCHAIR-user Richard Harvey found out his op was off after a day in hospital.
Richard was expecting to have a leg and pelvis injury re-stitched.
He spent his time waiting in bed at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel.
Richard, 50, who was injured in a motorbike crash, said: “At ten minutes to five I said to a nurse ‘this is a bit late for an operation’.
“She said, ‘there’s been a cyber attack’. She went away, came back and said that was it. I was very disappointed and very hungry.”