英国加入全球对抗埃博拉的队伍

The chief medical officer for England says Britain is well prepared for an Ebola outbreak, but the best way to ensure the threat to the UK does not escalate is to fight the disease in West Africa. On the front of the global battle is British virus survivor Will Pooley. He’s agreed to help create a cure with his blood. Richard Bestic has more from London.

Chris Pooley’s already returned to Sierra Leone.

This time he’ll be giving blood, which hoped will contain valuable Ebola antibodies.

He’s one of 164 British health workers currently in training to do battle with the Ebola virus in West Africa.

Here in Britain a nationwide response exercise highlighted the UK’s preparedness for Ebola.

The UK government chief medical officer has been answering concerns from Parliamentarians about the spread of Ebola to Britain’s shores.

"Planning at the national level has been excellent and the work with the exercise shows people have got plans in place and good response mechanisms," said professor Sally Davies, UK chief medical officer.

But there have been concerns expressed over the UK’s decision to screen travellers from the worst hit countries in West Africa - Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia and the means of tracking those who refused medical checks.

"I share your concern. It is important not only to do the planning and send things out, but to make sure it gets to the right people and they get the training," Davies said.

There was reassurance, too, in Sierra Leone from Britain’s International Development Secretary Justine Greening, who has visited the site of a UK-funded Ebola treatment facility.

"It’ll be providing 92 beds for patients, of which 12 will be dedicated for health care workers, providing people who are coming here to provide health care support the reassurance that if they do get sick - in spite of all the work we’re doing on training - that they will be able to make sure that they get the treatment they need," Greening said.

That Ebola should be under scrutiny in the UK Parliament says at least two things - that, yes, it is an international crisis, but also that there’s concern in Northern European countries that the disease could spread to this region.