GP surgery cyber security: Practical steps for UK practices

If you run or manage a GP surgery with between 10 and 200 staff, you’ve probably got more on your plate than worrying about firewalls and log files. That’s exactly why cyber security matters: when digital things go wrong they distract clinicians, waste admin time and — worst of all — put patient safety and your practice’s reputation at risk.

Why GP surgery cyber security is a business issue, not an IT hobby

Cyber security isn’t an optional extra or a box-ticking exercise for the CQC. It’s about three business things: keeping services running, protecting patient data, and maintaining trust with your patients and local partners. A disrupted appointment system or a data breach doesn’t just cost IT hours — it costs clinician time, patient confidence and potentially hundreds of pounds per incident in recovery and regulatory headaches.

In the UK context, you’ll be working within NHS digital expectations, local Integrated Care Board guidance and partner organisations such as pharmacies or community trusts. I’ve spent time in practices across the country and seen how a small technical problem quickly becomes an operational and reputational one when it’s not treated as a core management risk.

Where GP surgeries typically go wrong

There are recurring, low-effort failures that cause the vast majority of problems:

  • Weak passwords and shared logins — convenient, but a governance and auditing nightmare.
  • Out-of-date software — clinical systems, desktops, printers and even POS card machines can be entry points.
  • Poorly managed remote access — VPNs, RDP or remote desktop tools left exposed or misconfigured.
  • Inconsistent backups — either none at all, or backups that aren’t tested and are stored where ransomware can reach them.
  • Insufficient staff training — phishing emails still work because people are rushed and alerts are vague.

Practical, proportionate steps you can take this week

Start with the basics and focus on outcomes, not shiny tech. Here are steps that repay effort quickly:

1. Lock down access

Use unique accounts for staff, enforce strong password policies (or better: multi-factor authentication) for clinical systems and admin consoles. Ensure leavers are removed from systems within 24 hours — payroll and IT should have a visible process.

2. Patch and update on a schedule

Set a weekly check for critical updates on servers and endpoints. Many problems are resolved by routine patching; it’s dull but effective. If you can’t do it in-house, make sure whoever manages your machines does it and logs the work.

3. Backups you can actually restore

Backup, then test restoring at least quarterly. Keep at least one backup offline or offsite where ransomware can’t reach it. Restore tests should include clinical records, appointment systems and financial data.

4. Train for realistic threats

Short, regular briefings are better than an annual lecture. Focus on phishing, suspicious attachments, and safe USB/device use. Make sure reception and admin know the escalation route for anything that looks odd.

5. Control remote access

If staff or third parties access systems remotely, ensure connections are via approved, logged and monitored methods. Avoid generic remote desktop tools without proper controls — and keep an inventory of who has access.

Governance that fits a busy practice

Big governance frameworks can feel irrelevant to a medium-sized surgery. Instead, aim for a light-touch, documented approach:

  • Assign a named person responsible for cyber security and escalation (can be operational lead or practice manager).
  • Keep an incident response plan — one page of who does what if systems go down or a breach is suspected.
  • Log third-party access and ensure suppliers meet basic security expectations and have business continuity plans.

Balancing budget and risk

You don’t need an enterprise SOC to be reasonably secure. Security is about sensible spend: a reliable managed backup, a patched network, MFA and occasional penetration tests or vulnerability scans. These are the areas that reduce the largest risks for the lowest cost. If you’re buying services, make sure the contract includes response times and responsibilities — ambiguity is expensive when things go wrong.

If you want practical, hands-on help that understands primary care workflows, consider engaging dedicated healthcare IT support who can map technical controls to the real-world needs of your staff and patients.

Checklist: quick wins this month

  • Enable MFA for all clinical and admin logins.
  • Audit user accounts and remove dormant logins.
  • Test a full restore from backup.
  • Run a phishing simulation or tabletop exercise with reception and admin.
  • Agree an incident response lead and escalation pathway.

What reasonable protection buys you

Treat cyber security like infection control: the right measures reduce disruption and give staff confidence to focus on patient care. Reasonable protections mean less downtime, lower recovery cost and a better position with insurers and regulators if something does go wrong. For a practice, that translates into saved admin hours, fewer cancelled clinics and preserved trust in the local community.

FAQ

How much should a GP surgery budget for cyber security?

There’s no single number that fits every practice. Think in terms of prioritised spending: start small on the basics (MFA, backups, patching) then allocate a percentage of your IT budget to ongoing support and periodic audits. The alternative — paying for emergency recovery — is often much more expensive.

Is cyber insurance worth it for a surgery?

Insurance can be useful as part of a wider risk strategy, but it’s not a substitute for basic security measures. Read policies carefully: many require that you have certain protections in place to be eligible for cover.

Can my existing IT provider handle GP surgery cyber security?

Some can, some can’t. The important questions are whether they understand clinical systems, patient data handling and NHS expectations, and whether they provide clear SLAs for incident response. Ask for references from other practices or federations and clarity on how they handle out-of-hours incidents.

What should I do first after a suspected breach?

Isolate affected systems if safe to do so, inform your incident lead, document what you observe and contact your IT support and insurance as appropriate. Don’t try to ‘fix’ forensic evidence yourself; preserving logs and evidence is important for both recovery and for any regulatory follow-up.

Final thoughts

GP surgery cyber security doesn’t need to be a mystery or a drain on resource. Focus on predictable, high-impact steps: access control, patching, reliable backups, and sensible staff training. Those actions protect clinic time, reduce the chance of costly recovery and help maintain the credibility your practice has worked hard to build in the local community.

If you take those basics seriously, you’ll win time back for clinicians, reduce unexpected costs and sleep a little easier — which is worth it on its own.