The outbreak of Ebola has seen an increasing number of cases in Nigeria, sparking concerns that the virus may reach the UK. Thankfully, no cases have been reported yet. The NHS is on alert should any cases start to appear.

Already, a number of NHS trusts in the capital have begun training hospital staff should the worse happen. Barking, Havering and Redbridge University NHS Trust (BHRUT) which runs Queen’s Hospital in Romford and King George’s Hospital in Goodmayes have prepared department staff for any possible outbreak.

The director of infection prevention at the trust, Ian Hosein, said: “[…] we are fully prepared to deal with any suspected cases, as are our colleagues in community care. We have a well-tested system for dealing with any known or suspected cases of the disease.”

The action taken by the trust mirrors that being done in Europe. Staff at the isolation ward at the Charité hospital in Berlin are busy testing equipment and ensuring procedures are performed quickly should suspected Ebola patients start to appear in the German capital. Dr Florian Steiner, who runs the isolation ward, said: “I’m not afraid of an outbreak in Germany. I don’t want to say that’s not possible that somebody arrives here with one or two casualties. But it’s not going to be an outbreak with a thousand people dying.”