Acute & Community NHS Trust Cyber Security Recovery

Strengthening Cyber Security Maturity at an NHS Acute and Community Trust

In consecutive assessment years, the Trust did not achieve the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT). While some progress had been made to improve security controls and tooling, the overall maturity of cyber security knowledge, skills, and assurance across IT and associated teams was developing slowly. A number of security tools were already in place; however, a clear strategy, prioritised improvement plan, and consistent approach to risk and assurance had not yet been established.

As a result, cyber security activity was often reactive and fragmented. Teams faced challenges translating technical activity into meaningful, risk-based insight for senior leadership, while operational staff struggled to prioritise remediation work effectively within existing resource and budget constraints. The Trust required support to stabilise its cyber position while laying the foundations for longer-term improvement.

MCS was engaged to provide cyber security leadership, assurance, and strategic direction during a period of heightened risk. This engagement coincided with the emergence of a high-severity global vulnerability, placing immediate pressure on the Trust to understand its exposure, assess risk rapidly, and implement mitigations at pace.

MCS carried out a rapid review of the Trust’s cyber security posture, identifying immediate risks alongside underlying structural and capability challenges. Using deep knowledge of NHS environments, governance frameworks, and national threat intelligence, MCS led short-term actions to reduce risk while simultaneously developing a medium-term improvement roadmap. This included reviewing existing security tooling, assessing capacity and capability across the IT function, and aligning cyber priorities with wider organisational objectives.

A critical element of the engagement was ensuring the right engagement occurred at the right time. MCS coordinated activity across internal teams, national NHS cyber functions, and third-party suppliers, enabling the Trust to respond effectively to high-severity vulnerabilities and emerging threats. This approach improved both the speed and quality of decision-making during periods of elevated risk.

Alongside immediate incident response and risk reduction, MCS worked with Trust leadership to strengthen the foundations of cyber security assurance. Policies, processes, and reporting arrangements were reviewed and refined to improve transparency, accountability, and operational effectiveness. Particular focus was placed on improving the quality and consistency of cyber reporting, enabling senior leaders to gain clearer insight into risk, progress, and residual exposure.

MCS also supported the development of the Trust’s cyber security function, which at the time relied heavily on interim resource. Through hands-on leadership, challenge, and knowledge transfer, MCS helped mature ways of working across the team. This included encouraging greater openness, prioritisation of critical cyber activity, and a shift from reactive response towards a more structured, risk-based approach.

Through strong working relationships with national NHS cyber teams and a broad network of technology and cyber security suppliers, MCS supported the Trust in navigating an increasingly complex threat landscape. This ensured the organisation was not only responding to known risks, but was better positioned to anticipate and prepare for emerging requirements and vulnerabilities. A key outcome of this work was a significant improvement in the Trust’s response to high-severity alerts and national cyber advisories.

As a result of the engagement, the Trust achieved improved visibility of its cyber security and information governance risks, stronger operational assurance, and greater confidence in its ability to manage and communicate cyber risk effectively. Cyber security activity became more clearly aligned with organisational priorities, patient safety considerations, and available resources.

The Trust continues to explore how it can benefit from McCormickCo Security’s knowledge, experience, and networks on an ongoing basis, recognising that cyber threats will continue to evolve, adapt, and increase in complexity over time.

Services Delivered

During this engagement, McCormickCo Security provided a range of cyber security and assurance services, including:

• Cyber Security Leadership and Advisory – Strategic and operational leadership to stabilise risk and shape a sustainable improvement roadmap
• Incident Response and High-Severity Vulnerability Management – Coordinated response to national and global cyber alerts
• DSPT Assurance and Evidence Support – Strengthening governance, evidence quality, and assurance processes
• Risk Assessment and Prioritisation – Translating technical findings into defensible, risk-based decisions
• Operational and Board-Level Cyber Reporting – Improving transparency and executive oversight
• Supplier and Third-Party Cyber Engagement – Coordinating activity across NHS and technology partners
• Capability and Maturity Development – Supporting the development of internal cyber security skills and ways of working

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