Weekly Round Up - Issue 4

As the NHS continues its transformative journey into the digital age, last week brought developments both in healthcare delivery and cybersecurity. From pioneering home-based care innovations to critical updates to defend against cyber threats, these advancements highlight the UK’s commitment to improving patient outcomes and safeguarding vital health infrastructure.

In this edition of Periculo’s Weekly Round Up, we explore key digital health breakthroughs and cybersecurity updates shaping the NHS landscape.

NHS Care Directly to Patients’ Homes

The UK Government announced a major step forward in remote healthcare delivery, emphasizing that patients will soon benefit from advanced NHS services right from their homes. This initiative aims to reduce hospital visits, freeing up resources while maintaining high-quality care through innovative digital platforms and connected devices

Building on this, the NHS app is expanding its capabilities to enable more home treatments. This shift not only empowers patients with greater control over their health but also helps alleviate pressure on healthcare facilities by facilitating remote monitoring and virtual consultations.

Empowering NHS Trusts and Championing Equity in Innovation

The UK Government has granted top NHS trusts new powers aimed at improving care quality and operational efficiency. These enhanced authorities enable trusts to be more agile and responsive to patient needs, a key part of the NHS’s ongoing modernization strategy.

Cybersecurity Updates

NHS Digital issued a critical alert regarding the exploitation of a vulnerability in WatchGuard Firebox OS (CVE-2025-4716). This flaw has been actively targeted, prompting urgent patching recommendations to prevent unauthorized access and potential data breaches.

In a related development, Gov Info Security revealed that the UK NHS was implicated in the Clop ransomware gang’s recent exploits involving Oracle zero-day vulnerabilities. This incident highlights the persistent cyber threats facing healthcare institutions and the need for vigilant defences.

November’s Patch Tuesday brought essential updates from Microsoft, including a fix for a critical ASP.NET Core vulnerability that could enable request smuggling attacks. NHS Digital and InfoQ provide detailed analysis on these patches, urging organisations to deploy them promptly to mitigate risk.

UK Government to Introduce Tough New Laws

In response to escalating cyber threats, the UK Government is to introduce tough new laws designed to bolster the cybersecurity posture of the NHS, transport, and energy sectors. These legislative measures aim to enhance resilience, improve incident response, and impose stricter penalties.

Meanwhile, an 18-month investigation into a cyberattack involving NHS supplier Synnovis concluded recently. It is reported that the probe uncovered critical insights into supply chain vulnerabilities and reinforced the need for comprehensive third-party risk management.

Key Takeaways

The NHS is accelerating its shift toward home-based care, supported by digital tools like the NHS app, AI agents, and wireless technology to enhance accessibility and efficiency.

Empowering NHS trusts with greater autonomy and focusing on equity in digital health innovation are strategic priorities for sustainable transformation.

Cybersecurity remains a top concern, with urgent vulnerabilities being exploited and high-profile ransomware threats targeting NHS infrastructure.

Microsoft’s November 2025 security patches address critical issues and should be deployed swiftly across NHS systems.

New UK cyber defense laws signal a robust governmental commitment to protecting healthcare and critical infrastructure from cyberattacks.

Supply chain cybersecurity remains a pressing challenge, as evidenced by the Synnovis investigation outcomes.