[N]HS hospitals say they are having major computer problems as the result of an apparent cyberattack.
Trusts and hospitals in London, Blackburn, Nottingham, Cumbria, Merseyside and Hertfordshire have been affected, other parts of the country are also reporting problems with their computer systems.
They have asked patients not to come to the hospitals unless it is an emergency.
NHS Merseyside, Tweeted: “following a suspected national cyberattack, we are taking all precautionary measures possible to protect our local NHS systems and services.”
As of 3:30pm sixteen NHS organisations have reported that they have been affected.
A spokesman for NHS Digital said: “A number of NHS organisations have reported to NHS Digital that they have been affected by a ransomware attack which is affecting a number of different organisations.
“The investigation is at an early stage but we believe the malware variant is Wanna Decryptor.
“At this stage we do not have any evidence that patient data has been accessed. We will continue to work with affected organisations to confirm this.
“NHS Digital is working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre, the Department of Health and NHS England to support affected organisations and to recommend appropriate mitigations.
“This attack was not specifically targeted at the NHS and is affecting organisations from across a range of sectors.
“Our focus is on supporting organisations to manage the incident swiftly and decisively, but we will continue to communicate with NHS colleagues and will share more information as it becomes available.”
