NHS cyberattack: Trusts were told about security patch last month

NHS England hospital trusts were sent details of a security patch last month that would have prevented Friday's malware attack.

NHS Digital has confirmed to Sky News that the patch was made available on its cyber portal on 25 April, and a link sent to NHS IT staff on 27 April.

A spokesman said: "Our understanding is that if that had been acted on it would have prevented (the malware attack)."

NHS organisations across the country were on alert for a possible recurrence of Friday's cyberattack as staff returned to work on Monday.

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Cyber security experts had warned that the ransomware virus, which affected one in five NHS trusts, could be reactivated by computers and devices that had not yet been switched on.

But speaking publicly for the first time since the cyberattack, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that "according to the latest intelligence we have not seen a second wave of attacks".

Home Secretary Amber Rudd will chair a meeting of the Government's emergency COBRA committee later.

More than 200,000 victims in about 150 countries were infected by the ransomware known as Wanna Decryptor, which encrypts files on a user's computer, blocking them from view and demanding a payment to release them.

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In total 47 NHS organisations reported being affected - and the disruption has continued into the new working week.

Seven hospital trusts are still experiencing serious problems, among them St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, York Teaching Hospital NHS Trust and the University Hospitals of North Midlands Trust.

Labour has accused the Government of a "chaotic" response, and claimed cuts had left hospitals "wide open" to being compromised.

Problems with cyber security in the NHS was highlighted last year by Dame Fiona Caldicott, the national data guardian, who warned issues were given insufficient priority and that health bodies persisted in using obsolete computer systems, The Times reported.

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