Major NHS IT outage to last for three weeks

A major cyberattack on NHS IT systems that has impaired access to patient notes is expected to last at least three weeks, with mental health trusts possibly being affected for months. The assault has necessitated the implementation of emergency plans at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, which declared a ‘critical incident’, and across dozens of other trusts. Services have been severely impacted, with staff obliged to cancel leave and work around the clock to try and resolve the problems, which were instigated by an attack on booking, referral and finance systems.