NHS England has awarded a contract to digital engineering and cloud transformation partner, Mastek and cyber security consultancy firm, Templar Executives, to provide NHS boards and executives with Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO) cyber security training.
According to Mastek, the training will “build resilience across the healthcare system” while also helping to improve understanding of the cyber security landscape and making sure board members know what their responsibilities are in regards to governance, leadership and compliance. Templar Executives will help with providing a tailored approach, which will look at “equipping critical leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively manage cyber security risks”.
The contract is said to last for one year with the option to extend another year if needed. This coincides with another ongoing contract that was awarded by NHS Shared Business Services last year, in which Mastek was named as one of the suppliers in the NHS’ digital health advisory framework agreement until March 2026.
Speaking on the new cyber security training contract, Abhishek Singh, president of UKI & Europe at Mastek, shared: “We are happy to expand our support into NHS England in building stronger cyber security leadership across the NHS. As healthcare systems continue to become more digital, effective cyber governance at the board level is essential to safeguarding patient data and ensuring the resilience of critical services.”
A recent HTN Now panel discussion on cyber security touched on the need for more training within this area, with experts emphasising the importance of developing cyber skills within healthcare. Cyber security manager at London Northwest Healthcare NHS Trust and Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Nasser Arif, suggested, “we need to be in a position where the NHS has that strong cyber skillset, no matter what the role is, whether technical or non-technical” while Keltie Jamieson, the CIO at Bermuda Hospitals Board shared how helpful training videos have been within her organisation.
Cyber security in the NHS: the wider trend
Last month, the government published its Cyber Growth Action Plan, supporting innovation across the cyber sector and outlining up to £16 million in funding to help commercialise cyber research. It shares plans to develop a roadmap for future growth and establish a new government Cyber Advisory Board, with any findings and recommendations feeding into the upcoming National Cyber Strategy.
In an interview with Diane Abela Hardy, CISO at Accurx, we discussed rising cyber threats and the growing risk to healthcare, where she shared her views on the current landscape, barriers to progress and how a shift from siloed security practices to a more unified and transparent approach between the NHS and suppliers could be beneficial.
A recent feature written by Mark Harris, IT Manager at Radar Healthcare looks at building an NHS fit for the future with the help of cyber security. He emphasises the need for a strong focus on staff training and how it plays a huge role in prevention, suggesting that regular communication, video training, and real-world examples, are essential in ensuring training becomes part of the organisational culture.
