As the Irish health service is hit by ransomware, hospitals are canceling outpatient appointments.

Ireland's nationalised health service has shut down its IT systems following a "human-operated" Conti ransomware attack, causing a Dublin hospital to cancel outpatient appointments.

The country's Health Service Executive closed its systems down as a precaution, local reports from the Irish public service broadcaster RTÉ said, reporting that Dublin's Rotunda Hospital had cancelled appointments for outpatients – including many for pregnant women.

"The maternity hospital said all outpatient visits are cancelled - unless expectant mothers are 36 weeks pregnant or later," reported RTÉ, adding: "All gynaecology clinics are also cancelled today."

There is a significant ransomware attack on the HSE IT systems. We have taken the precaution of shutting down all our our IT systems in order to protect them from this attack and to allow us fully assess the situation with our own security partners.

Fergal Malone, chief of the Rotunda Hospital and a senior HSE bod, said: "There has been a significant ransomware attack on the HSE IT systems. They have taken the precaution of shutting down all their IT systems in order to protect them from this attack and to allow the HSE to fully assess the situation with their security partners. The HSE apologises for the inconvenience to patients and to the public."

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