IT shutdown brings delay for patients

HUNDREDS of patients face delays in getting critical test results after an NHS computer system went into meltdown.

Three London hospitals were forced to shut down their IT network for at least 24 hours after being hit by a virus this week.

Some parts of the system are now working, but computers in non-critical departments are still down, causing a knock on effect to patients awaiting crucial results.

St Bartholomew's in the City, the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel and The London Chest Hospital in Bethnal Green are affected. The Bart's and the London NHS Trust is one of a handful to have installed the controversial Care Records System, which has been plagued with problems and has caused millions of pounds worth of problems at the Royal Free in Hampstead.

A spokesman said this week's computer problems were unrelated to that system. The virus has been identified as the "mytob" virus. The hospital trust said its computers were not infected "maliciously".