A number of hospitals in the area have been hit by IT failures this afternoon thought to be the result of a “cyber attack”.
It has been reported that Watford General, Hemel Hempstead and St Albans hospitals are all experiencing IT problems.
The East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, which runs Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood, among other facilities, is facing issues with its phones and computer systems.
Trusts and hospitals across the country are also reportedly affected, including those in London, Blackburn and Nottingham.
The error message on the East and North Herts NHS Trust website
NHS England said in a statement: "A number of NHS organisations have reported to NHS Digital that they have been affected by a ransomware attack.
"The investigation is at an early stage but we believe the malware variant is Wanna Decryptor.
"This attack was not specifically targeted at the NHS and is affecting organisations from across a range of sectors.
"At this stage we do not have any evidence that patient data has been accessed.
"NHS Digital is working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre, the Department of Health and NHS England to support affected organisations and ensure patient safety is protected.
"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."
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