Patients told NOT to go to A&E due to IT outage

Patients are being told not to go to A&E after an NHS computer failure.The IT problem is currently affecting some of the busiest hospitals in Manchester and Wales.Patients have been asked only to attend A&E for serious or life-threatening emergencies as hospital bosses work to resolve the issue.A Welsh Government spokesman blamed a technical issue and said two NHS Wales Data Centres in Blaenavon and Cardiff Bay are affected.She added: 'This is under investigation by the NHS Wales Informatics Service (NWIS) and is being dealt with as a priority.' Manchester Royal Infirmary and Royal Manchester Children's Hospital have both been hit by a 'network outage' this afternoon.Several other sites across central Manchester, including Manchester Royal Eye Hospital and St Mary's Hospital are also understood to be experiencing IT problems.The reason for the 'outage', which started early in the afternoon, has not yet been confirmed by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.And it is not yet known when the problem is likely to be resolved.Health chiefs say there is no risk to patient safety but it is not yet known if the issue will affect patient notes or records.A spokesperson for the Trust said the problem is affecting all IT facilities.They added: 'Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust is experiencing a network outage on the Central and Trafford sites.'We are working to resolve this as quickly as possible and services are using their well-rehearsed business continuity plans.