GPs were unable to treat patients, planes couldn’t take off, and small businesses lost money. The full impact of the global IT outage on 19 July is still emerging.
A faulty software update by CrowdStrike affected up to eight and half million computers worldwide using Microsoft systems. CrowdStrike’s senior manager will address the US Congress to explain the incident.
Dr. David Wrigley, a GP for 22 years, highlighted delays in cancer treatments due to the outage. He emphasized the need for stronger support from NHS England and the UK government.
The IT outage also impacted Northern Ireland, where 75% of GPs use the affected system. The Department of Health is working on strengthening continuity plans.
Prof. Kamila Hawthorne stressed the importance of safeguards for such situations. Meanwhile, airports worldwide and small businesses like Dawn’s and Hannah’s suffered losses.
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