08.10.14
NHS hospitals put on standby to deal with Ebola cases
Four NHS hospitals have been put on standby to deal with a UK Ebola outbreak, as health officials warn of a “real risk” that the virus could reach Britain.
Experts say the UK is the third most likely country outside Africa to report an Ebola case. Heathrow’s status as a major air hub and the flights it receives from western Africa is one of the reasons the country is at risk.
World Health Organisation officials have warned that the spread of Ebola across Europe is ”unavoidable”.
The Royal Free Hospital in north London, which treated and cured William Pooley, a British nurse who contracted the virus in Sierra Leone in August, is currently the country’s only specialist High Level isolation unit, with two containment beds. It has been identified as the first centre to take Ebola cases. In the event of a larger outbreak, Royal Liverpool University Hospital NHS FT, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals FT and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals FT have also been lined up to take cases if needed. These three hospitals would receive further specialist equipment from the Royal Free to deal with any cases.
No isolation units are available in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, warned doctors to be vigilant and said all health professionals should take a full travel history from any patient who comes to see them complaining of a fever.
“It is unlikely but not impossible that people infected in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia could arrive in the UK while incubating the disease and develop symptoms after their return,” she said.
Home Office minister Norman Baker has said Britain should consider introducing an Ebola screening programme for visitors arriving at UK airports. He believes the case for increased screening at UK airports should be examined in light of the “very concerning” development in Madrid where a nurse has become the first person to contract the Ebola virus outside Africa.
Thirty medical staff in Madrid are now being monitored for signs of the virus, with four people, including the nurse’s husband, placed in quarantine.
The United States has drawn up plans to screen arrivals for the virus, however on Tuesday, public health officials here ruled out such a move.
The prime minister will convene a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee this morning to discuss the growing threat to the UK from the spread of Ebola.
Ahead of the meeting, the PM spoke to the president of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, who said the situation in his country continues to be “very serious”.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “As part of the government’s ongoing efforts to combat the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, the Prime Minister will chair this week’s Cobra meeting. This is part of an ongoing series of Cobra meetings to coordinate the UK response that started in late July and has been in the diary for some time.”
A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "We are aware of the situation in Spain and are monitoring it closely.
"This is a reminder that we must support healthcare workers in maintaining the most rigorous infection control procedures when dealing with Ebola. The NHS has tried and tested systems for managing infectious diseases, and we continue to inform clinicians about the signs of Ebola, the need for vigilance and the action to take if they have cause for concern about a particular patient."
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