A devastating global cyber attack that crippled computers in hospitals across the UK has cost the NHS £92m, a report from the Department of Health has found.

The so-called WannaCry hack, which shut down hundreds of thousands of computers around the world with messages from hackers demanding ransom payments, hit a third of hospital trusts and 8pc of GP practices. Around 1pc of all NHS care was disrupted over the course of a week.

The hack caused more than 19,000 appointments to be cancelled, costing the NHS £20m between 12 May and 19 May and £72m in the subsequent cleanup and upgrades to its IT systems.

The cyber attack caused 200,000 computers to lock out users with red-lettered error messages demanding the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. The attack was blamed on elite North Korean hackers after a year-long investigation.

At the time of the attacks, the NHS was criticised for using outdated IT systems, including Windows XP, a 17 year-old operating system that could be vulnerable to cyber attacks.

In a report from the Department of Health, the Government said it had continued to invest in its cyber security and infrastructure to prevent similar attacks.