THE ambulance service serving Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset has been hit by a cyber attack.

The South Western Ambulance Service (SWASFT) has been targeted, along with the South Central Ambulance Service.

Access to patient records has been reported to have been limited by the attack, with NHS England saying work is ongoing to investigate the incident, involving ‘law enforcement colleagues’.

Between them, the ambulance services cover 12 million people.

The SWASFT covers Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire and the Isles of Scilly.

The South Central Ambulance Service Trust attends incidents in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire and Buckinghamshire, along with non-emergency coverage for Sussex and Surrey.

An NHS spokesperson said: “We are aware of an incident affecting a small number of ambulance services.

“Our Cyber Security Operations Centre is working with affected organisations to investigate, alongside law enforcement colleagues.”