A global outage of Microsoft 365 Services, including Teams and Outlook, as well as its AI software Copilot, disrupted operations across Suffolk on Friday. The issue, attributed to higher-than-usual server stress rather than a cyber-security incident, affected a wide range of organizations, from local councils and police to healthcare providers and businesses.
Healthcare services in Suffolk faced significant challenges due to the outage. Rachel Andrews, assistant manager at Orchard Medical Practice in Ipswich, highlighted the impact on prescriptions. Without access to hospital discharge summaries, doctors were unable to adjust medications, leading to delays in patient treatments. The outage also increased pressure on reception staff as patients resorted to phone calls, extending wait times.
Pharmacies like Aqua Pharmacy in Ipswich struggled to process prescriptions as the NHS email system failed. Mohamad Alom from Aqua Pharmacy described the situation as 'bad and serious' for patients needing their medicines. The inability to email patient requests to doctors' surgeries compounded the problem.
Businesses in Suffolk also felt the strain. Jules Shorrock, vice chair of the Suffolk Business Women Board, warned of the economic impact, emphasizing the need for better fail-safes. Mark Ling, agency director for ICE Transport in Ipswich, called for investments to strengthen connectivity and networks, noting the heavy reliance on online operations.