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The National Audit Office (NAO) has published the findings of an independent investigation into the WannaCry cyber incident on 12 May 2017.

The investigation by the NAO focuses on events immediately before 12 May 2017 and up until 30 September 2017 and covers the impact on the NHS in England. It sets out the facts about:

• the ransomware attack's impact on the NHS and its patients
• why some parts of the NHS were affected
• how the Department and NHS national bodies responded to the attack.

NHS Digital has played a key role in the events before, during and after the incident and here is our response to the findings of the report:

Dan Taylor, NHS Digital's Head of Security, said:

"We welcome the outcome of this investigation which highlights some of the challenges we faced during the WannaCry incident and in our role to alert NHS organisations to known cyber security threats and advise them of appropriate steps to take to minimise risks.

"It was an international attack on an unprecedented scale that affected organisations across the world. While it did not specifically target the NHS, the impact on our health services was significant and we were part of a multi-agency response to support affected sites and get critical systems back on line.

"The NHS responded admirably to the situation. Doctors, nurses and professionals from all areas pulled together and worked incredibly hard to keep frontline services for patients running and to get everything back to normal as swiftly as possible.

"We learned a lot from WannaCry and are working closely with our colleagues in other national bodies to continue to listen, learn and offer support and services to frontline organisations."

Click here to read the full report: Investigation: WannaCry cyber attack and the NHS in England

Notes to editors

1. NHS Digital is the national information and technology provider for the health and care system. Our team of information analysis, technology and project management experts create, deliver and manage the crucial digital systems, services, products and standards upon which health and care professionals depend. During the 2016/17 financial year, NHS Digital published 292 statistical reports. Our vision is to harness the power of information and technology to make health and care better.
2. For media enquiries, please contact media@nhsdigital.nhs.net or telephone 0300 30 33 888.