NHS Highland says IT fault not a cyber-attack

NHS Highland has stood down a "critical incident" it had declared earlier due to a fault affecting IT systems across all its hospitals and services.

The health board said all its systems were now stable and operating as normal, adding that the problem was not caused by a cyber-attack.

NHS Highland said declaring a critical incident had allowed it to better co-ordinate its response, and also call in additional if needed.

Its sites include Raigmore Hospital and National Treatment Centre - Highland in Inverness, and Lorn and Isles Hospital in Oban in Argyll.

The health board said: "We would like to thank our staff, patients and partners for their understanding and during the incident.

"We can confirm this was not a cyber attack, and that no patient records were compromised.

"A full post-incident review will be carried out to ensure we capture learning and continue to strengthen our resilience."

NHS Highland said patients should continue to attend their appointments as planned.