Update on SickKids response to cybersecurity incident

The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is continuing to respond to the cybersecurity incident (Code Grey) that began at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 18. Work continues to bring all impacted systems back online and it is anticipated that it will be a matter of weeks before all systems are functioning as normal. Clinical and operational teams are implementing back up procedures for systems that are not yet accessible.

This is a fluid and evolving situation that is still under investigation. While we can confirm this is a ransomware attack, SickKids has been preparing for attacks of this nature, and mobilized quickly to mitigate potential impacts to the continuity of care. We have rapidly engaged with third-party expert organizations and law enforcement to bring a resolution to the situation as quickly as possible.

Urgent and emergent care as well as scheduled appointments and procedures are continuing. These services are expected to continue while SickKids brings the impacted systems back online. Clinical teams are currently experiencing delays with retrieving lab and imaging results, which may cause longer wait times for patients and families.

Patients and families can continue to communicate with their care teams as they normally would. There is no evidence to date that personal information or personal health information has been impacted.

This is an active and ongoing incident and we are unable to provide additional information about the nature of the attack at this time. We appreciate the patience and understanding of our patients, families, and system partners while we do everything we can to continue delivering the high quality of care that SickKids is known for during the ongoing Code Grey.

Follow @SickKidsNews on Twitter and check sickkids.ca for ongoing updates.

4:30 p.m. update

Clinical teams are currently experiencing delays with retrieving lab and imaging results, which may cause longer diagnostic and/or treatment wait times for some patients and families. The usual process for sending prescriptions has been affected and downtime methods are being used. Most hospital operations are continuing smoothly and SickKids teams are working hard to provide the best care possible for all our patients during the Code Grey.

The Code Grey is affecting our internal timekeeping system. The SickKids Human Resources team has activated its emergency recovery plan to help ensure payments to staff remain on schedule. For staff who may be impacted by any delays, we are committed to ensuring they ultimately receive the correct pay.