Hospitals and social care services are increasingly some of the most targeted organisations in the UK. In 2025, specific attacks on the NHS included incidents such as that at Barts Health NHS Trust where patient and staff data was stolen, and further third party incidents involving NHS suppliers such as DXS International, showcase the need in bolstering the industry’s cyber defences.
The UK’s health and social care system is under growing cyber pressure and the government is responding with legislation that will make baseline cyber security controls a legal expectation, not a nice-to-have.
With the introduction of the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, organisations delivering critical services including hospitals, NHS suppliers, and adult social care providers will all soon, as of 2026, be expected to demonstrate that they meet recognised cyber security standards.
That starts with one clear requirement: Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus.
What the cyber security and resilience bill means in practice and why now
Public sectors and CNI targets are seen as the biggest targets from ransomware groups, with healthcare being seen as one of the biggest targets, that’s because the NHS and other healthcare providers have:
- Highly sensitive patient and care data
- Essential, always-on services
- Complex IT environments and stretched internal teams
- Heavy reliance on third-party suppliers
The Bill is designed to ensure that organisations delivering services that impact public safety such as hospitals, social care and care services, and their third-party suppliers meet minimum cyber security standards.
Key changes expected include:
- Stronger enforcement powers for regulators
- Higher baseline cyber requirements across critical services
- Increased expectations around resilience and incident reporting
- Greater scrutiny of supply chains, including MSPs and IT partners
For hospitals and care providers, this means cyber security will increasingly be treated like fire safety tests – a mandatory operational requirement.
Why Cyber Essentials will become the baseline standard
Cyber Essentials Plus will provide hospitals and social care providers, and their third-parties, a clear framework for protecting organisations against the most common internet-based cyber attacks, and focuses on five core controls:
- Firewalls and boundary security
- Secure configuration
- Access control
- Patch management
- Malware protection
As new regulations come into force, Cyber Essentials Plus certification provides health and social care organisations with proof of baseline compliance and helps reduce two immediate cyber risks:
1. Ransomware Disruption
Ransomware remains one of the biggest operational threats to hospitals and care services, as it’s capable of shutting down:
- booking systems
- diagnostic services
- electronic patient records
- internal communications
2. Phishing and Credential Compromise
Most breaches usually still begin with something simple:
- As a link click in a phishing email
- A stolen password
- Or a compromised user account
Cyber Essentials Plus strengthens access controls and secure configuration, reducing the likelihood of attackers gaining initial access through employee credentials.
How Hospitals and Social Care Providers Can Stay Compliant
As well as meeting future legal requirements, Cyber Essentials Plus it also delivers on:
- Reduced service disruption
- Improved patient and public trust
- Stronger resilience against common attacks
- Clearer governance and accountability
- Better positioning with commissioners and partners
Meaning that having proper controls and certifications in place can not only protect IT equipment, but also patients and delivery of services.
Which means that completing Cyber Essentials Plus is the most direct and government backed way to do so, and once healthcare providers organisations complete it, the easier compliance will be.
If you want to talk to us about Cyber Essentials Plus, get in touch for an overview of how that will work for your organisation today.