UK agencies mount international manhunt to find perpetrators of crippling NHS cyber attack

A message appearing on a computer at an NHS trust
PA
Eleanor Rose16 May 2017

An international manhunt is underway to find those responsible for the crippling cyber attack that paralysed swathes of NHS services over the weekend.

Home secretary Amber Rudd said the National Crime Agency, NCA, and National Cyber Security Centre, NCSC, were now part of large-scale efforts to find the perpetrators of the attack, which hit 200,000 victims in 150 countries around the world.

"NCSC and NCA are working with Europol and other international partners to make sure we all collect the right evidence, which we need to do to make sure we have the right material to find out who has done this and we go after them. Which we will," she said.

Ms Rudd, who was speaking following a meeting of the Government's Cobra contingencies committee, said more than a million patients had been treated in the course of Monday.

"All GPs surgeries did open, though some of them had to use pen and paper.

"The vast majority of patients have noticed no difference. It has been a very strong response," she said.

Earlier, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt confirmed there had not been a second wave of attacks on NHS trusts and said it was "encouraging" that the level of criminal activity was at "the lower end of the range" anticipated.

The NHS was declared "open for business", although some hospitals were still suffering disruption.

NHS England said that, as of 3pm on Monday, two hospitals remained on divert following the attack, down from seven on Sunday.

Dr Anne Rainsberry, national incident director at NHS England, said: "There are encouraging signs that the situation is improving, with fewer hospitals having to divert patients from their A&E units.

"The message to patients is clear: the NHS is open for business.

"Staff are working hard to ensure that the small number of organisations still affected return to normal shortly."

A divert remained in place for trauma, stroke and urgent heart attack treatment, where diagnostic services are required, at the Lister Hospital, part of East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust (Midlands & East).

At Broomfield Hospital, part of Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust (Midlands & East), trauma patients were being diverted to Southend University Hospital.

Additional reporting by Press Association

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