A patient who tested positive for Ebola has been admitted to the high level isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north London, the hospital said, after being evacuated to the UK by a specialist medical service. The Royal Free and the UK Health Security Agency said the risk to the public is very low.
The hospital said the patient was brought to the Royal Free via a specialist medical evacuation service, a step that officials said reduced any risk of onward transmission during travel. The high level isolation unit is the UKs main specialist facility for treating viral haemorrhagic fevers, the Royal Free said, and admissions are handled under national infection control protocols.
UK Health Security Agency said the patient is a British doctor who tested positive for Ebola while working on the outbreak response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The agency said the UK is providing specialist care to the aid worker and reiterated that the assessed risk to the UK public remains low.
Specialist unit and staff
The Royal Free described the unit as being run by a specially trained team of doctors, nurses, therapists and laboratory staff. Dr Jake Dunning, consultant in infectious diseases and lead for the high level isolation unit, said the facility is designed to provide safe treatment for patients with infections of this kind. He added that the unit operates within national infection control arrangements.
UK Health Security Agency said the Royal Free has specialist high level isolation beds and some of the best facilities in the world for treating unusual infectious diseases. The hospital pointed to its previous experience during the 2014 and 2015 West Africa Ebola outbreak, when it successfully treated three health workers who were evacuated to the UK for care.
Officials have not disclosed the patients current condition, or how long the stay at the Royal Free is expected to be. The hospital page announcing the admission does not state an exact admission date, and the first public announcement was made by the UK Health Security Agency on 5 November.
Public health bodies emphasised that treatment and any follow up are being carried out under established national protocols. The Royal Free confirmed that clinical management of viral haemorrhagic fevers follows specific procedures designed to protect staff, patients and the wider community, and that laboratory work is conducted by trained personnel in appropriate facilities.
Officials did not release further clinical details. UK Health Security Agency guidance notes that when patients with rare infectious diseases are treated in specialist units, contact tracing and monitoring follow national arrangements. The agency said it is supporting the response and working with clinical teams to manage any necessary public health measures.
The admission comes as health services maintain preparedness for imported cases of serious infectious diseases. The Royal Free highlighted its role as the national specialist facility for viral haemorrhagic fevers, while UK Health Security Agency underlined that specialist treatment is available in the UK for aid workers and others who become infected while working overseas.
Hospitals and public health authorities urged the public to rely on information provided by official bodies and to avoid speculation. The Royal Free and UK Health Security Agency stated that they would release further information only as appropriate and in line with patient confidentiality and public health requirements.
No medical advice beyond official statements has been issued by the hospital or UK Health Security Agency.
