Preparing for cyber incidents

Hans Allnutt, Partner at Beachcroft LLP, shared lessons from his experience supporting organisations following cyber security incidents.

He explained how important it is to prepare before an incident happens, including testing business continuity plans, understanding backup arrangements and making sure staff know how to respond to unusual requests.

Simple actions can help. This could include checking an unexpected payment or access request with the person who sent it, rather than assuming it is genuine.

Hans also highlighted the importance of communications during a cyber incident. There can be a valuable period before an incident becomes public when organisations can gather the facts, prepare their response and communicate clearly.

His advice was not to communicate simply for the sake of saying something. Information should be useful, accurate and based on what is known at the time.

AI is useful, but not the answer to everything

Beverley Bryant, Chief Digital Officer at Dorset HealthCare, came to talk about her role at the Trust as the executive lead for the creation of the new electronic health record (EHR) in partnership with trusts and both Integrated Care Boards across Dorset and Somerset. She explored both the opportunities and challenges presented by AI.

The discussion looked at areas where AI could support healthcare, while also recognising the need for clear accountability and human oversight.

The message was that AI should not be seen as the answer to every problem. Each use needs to be considered carefully, with the right checks and safeguards in place.

Practical advice on getting more from Microsoft Copilot was also shared during the afternoon.

One simple analogy was to treat an AI prompt like a good clinical handover:

“If you give it a better briefing, you will get better out of it.”

Attendees were encouraged to give AI tools clear context, explain the task, set boundaries and describe the format they want back.

They were also reminded not to let AI fill gaps with guesses. If information is missing, the tool should be asked to say so rather than create an answer that sounds convincing but may be wrong.

Supporting digital change in Dorset

The event also introduced colleagues to the new NHS Dorset ICB general practice IT service delivery team and looked at the wider direction of digital services across Dorset.

The afternoon finished with a session on clinical safety with Dr Keith Gomes-Pinto and Dr Simon Rees, bringing the conversation back to how new technology can be introduced safely and effectively in general practice.

Across all of the sessions, a common theme emerged around how technology will continue to change, and mistakes and incidents will happen. What matters is having good systems in place, asking questions, sharing learning and creating a culture where people can raise concerns without fear of blame.

Information and resources from the event will be shared with general practice colleagues soon.