The NHS says it’s now “back online” as normal following the global IT outage and has apologised for the disruption caused to patients.
After the Crowdstrike IT outage last Friday (19 July) caused mayhem for companies and organisations right across the world, NHS England has now assured the public that it is back up and running today (22 July) and that patients should continue to attend their appointments “as normal”, unless they are told or advised otherwise.
A senior doctor described last Friday’s outage as an “unprecedented situation” and “one the toughest single days in recent times for GPs across England”.
Dr David Wrigley, who is the Deputy Chair of GPC England at the British Medical Association (BMA), said the outage caused “exceptionally trying circumstances” and led to a “catastrophic loss of service” across the NHS, but the country’s health service has now confirmed that anyone with an appointment should attend this week.
Delays to some services, however, should be expected, although the NHS says it is hoping to keep this “to a minimum”.
ADVERTISEMENT
The NHS is aware of a global IT outage and an issue with a GP appointment and patient record system.
If you have an appointment please do attend unless you are told otherwise. If you need help use 111 online or by phone and in an emergency call 999.
An NHS spokesperson said in an updated statement issued this morning (22 July): “Systems are now back online, and patients with an NHS appointment this week should continue to attend unless told not to.
“Thanks to the hard work of NHS staff throughout this incident we are hoping to keep further disruption to a minimum, however there still may be some delays as services recover, particularly with GPs needing to rebook appointments, so please bear with us.
ADVERTISEMENT
“It’s important that patients attend appointments as normal unless told otherwise.
“You can contact your GP in the usual way, or use your local pharmacy, NHS 111 online, or call 111 for urgent health advice.”
The NHS is now ‘back online’ as normal after the global IT outage last Friday / Credit: gov.uk
Just as the NHS has referenced that GPs, in particular, are expecting to be met with service delays this week, Dr Wrigley has too warned of a “considerable backlog”.
ADVERTISEMENT
He explained in his statement: “The temporary loss of the patient record system has meant a considerable backlog.
“Even if we could guarantee it could be fully fixed on Monday, GPs would still need time to catch up from lost work over the weekend, and NHS England should make clear to patients that normal service cannot be resumed immediately.”
Canal Street cordoned off after ‘suspicious chemicals’ reported at hotel
Daisy Jackson
Canal Street and several other streets in the Gay Village in Manchester have been cordoned off this afternoon.
Greater Manchester Police are attending reported of a smell that’s believed to be chemicals coming from a hotel room in the area.
There’s a huge emergency services presence in the area, including vehicles from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue, and the North West Ambulance Service.
Police have confirmed that they have detained a man who is believed to have been the occupant of the hotel room.
The hotel itself has been evacuated while the material is examined.
Thankfully, no one has been injured in the incident that has shut down part of Canal Street today.
Emergency services vehicles at the scene on Canal StreetThe cordon in place on Canal Street
GMP said in a statement: “We are currently searching a hotel room at a premises on Canal Street, Manchester. This follows a report of a smell – currently believed to be chemicals – causing suspicion.
“A man, believed to be the occupant of the room, has been detained and is currently in custody.
“As a precautionary measure, the hotel has been evacuated while specialist resources examine the material and conduct further enquiries.
“No-one has been injured and we are working to establish the full circumstances. We thank people for their patience as we continue with our work.”
England football fans warned as ticket scams skyrocket ahead of World Cup
Emily Sergeant
England football fans are being warned to remain vigilant, as ticket scams skyrocket ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup merely weeks from officially kicking off in the North America and Mexico on 11 June, football fans are being urged to guard against scams, as newly-released data from Lloyds has revealed that football ticket scams increased by more than a third (36%) during the current Premier League season.
The findings – which are based on thousands of scam cases between October 2025 and March 2026 – showed that fraudsters focused heavily on popular teams such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea.
Fraudsters also repeatedly targeted supporters looking for tickets to some of the most in-demand football matches in the UK, which is why, with the upcoming World Cup set to be one of the most speculated sporting events of the year, scam warnings are being issued.
It’s anticipated that fraudsters will target the big-name fixtures and attempt to exploit international demand, according to Lloyds.
England football fans are being warned as ticket scams skyrocket ahead of the World Cup / Credit: Picryl
On average, it was revealed that victims lost £215 during the current Premier League football season, but some fans even paid thousands of pounds for ‘season tickets’ or VIP seats that never existed.
Hopeful football fans are expected to pay much more for expensive World Cup tickets, meaning the potential loss for victims could be ‘devastating’.
As scammers know demand for World Cup tickets will be huge, it’s expected that they will mimic the methods seen in club level scams – including fake listings on social media, pressure to act fast, and requests for bank transfers.
“Fraudsters thrive on urgency and target fans looking for hard to get tickets for big name fixtures,” explained Liz Ziegler, who is the Fraud Prevention Director at Lloyds.
“Most of the football ticket scams we see start on social media, before the criminal moves the buyer onto WhatsApp and insists on a bank transfer to pay. It’s incredibly convincing, and we don’t want fans to lose their money trying to support their team.
“We’re urging supporters to stay alert and stick to official ticketing channels.”
Ahead of the World Cup, Lloyds and the Home Office have teamed up to take action to protect fans by highlighting how criminals will try to exploit the excitement – with Lord Hanson adding: “Our new fraud strategy sets out how we will use every tool at our disposal to disrupt and dismantle criminal operations, bring fraudsters to justice and strengthen support for victims.”
Emily Sergeant -
22nd July 2024 
