The HSE has denied that the resignation of its Chief Information Officer is connected to a computer glitch revealed this morning.

The glitch may have led to thousands of patients getting the wrong results from a range of scans, including x-rays and CT scans.

While the executive has insisted the error poses a 'relatively low risk' to patients, it had the potential to lead to some 25,000 people receiving unnecessary treatments.

The error was discovered by a radiologist last Friday and the system has now been updated.

Richard Corbridge - who has been HSE Chief Information Officer since 2014 - announced his decision to resign earlier this week.

He is expected to stay on until November.

A HSE spokesperson said the resignation has nothing to do with the systems glitch - adding that Mr Corbridge has decided to return to the UK, where he is originally from.

He previously specialised in IT development for the NHS.