Ebola in the UK: Hospital confirms it is treating a woman with suspected case of the virus

Reports claim the patient had recently travelled abroad

Northampton General Hospital tested its preparations for a case of Ebola in November (Burgess Von Thunen/Creative Commons)

A woman suspected of having the Ebola virus was being treated in Northampton, health officials said.

Northampton General Hospital confirmed a patient with possible symptoms of the deadly disease had been admitted and tests were being carried out.

The woman had recently travelled abroad, according to ITV News.

In a statement on Wednesday, the hospital trust said: “A patient with a suspected case of Ebola was admitted to Northampton General Hospital this evening.

“Tests have now shown that the patient is malaria negative. Ebola is considered unlikely but testing is being done as a precaution, as is usual practice in these circumstances.

“We are confident that all appropriate actions are being taken to protect the public’s health and ensure there is no risk to patients or staff.”

The hospital held an emergency exercise in November last year to test its preparations for a case of Ebola with a member of staff playing the patient.

The hospital's Chief Operating Officer, Deborah Needham, told the Northampton Chronicle & Echo that “everything went to plan, although the exercise did flag up that we could get even better face masks and a newer isolation box to carry blood sample in”.