Rotherham health services not affected by NHS cyber attack

Health trusts around the country have suffered IT failures today (Friday), prompting some to turn patients away from A&E.

Some phone and email systems are down, with medics resorting to pen and paper at some hospitals.

But a spokeswoman for Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust said this afternoon that, while she was aware of issues elsewhere, local systems were not affected.

A spokesman for Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Trust said that service was experiencing no IT trouble.

And a spokesman for Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals — which oversees Montagu Hospital — said systems there were not affected either, as of this afternoon.

As of 3.30pm today, 16 NHS organisations had reported receiving messages prompting computer-users to send money, an NHS Digital statement said.

It added: “The investigation is at an early stage but we believe the malware variant is a 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.”