Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
10 October 2014 11:39
A medical exercise takes place at the Army Medical Services Training Centre near York as ministers are coming under pressure to test travellers for Ebola
There is growing clamour for screening at UK airports following warnings that Ebola could spread to Britain.
MP Keith Vaz is leading calls to test for the killer virus at transport hubs throughout the UK amid warnings from Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt that the prospect of Ebola entering the country is "entirely possible".
Elsewhere, screening is being introduced at some US airports following the death of a man diagnosed with the virus in Dallas, Texas.
Mr Vaz, chairman of the House of Commons' Home Affairs Select Committee, is calling for the UK to follow suit as well as insisting that more support is needed to ensure immigration officers are properly equipped to help contain the outbreak.
Travellers are reminded of the importance of arranging travel insurance, or medical travel insurance if they have an existing condition, before flying overseas.
Mr Hunt says that while it is possible that someone infected with the virus could arrive in the UK, the country is fully prepared to deal with this.
He adds that the health service in Britain has an excellent track record in handling outbreaks and treating people with Ebola and says paramedics are kitted out with protective suits.
Ebola - key facts
:: The virus is not airborne and can only be spread by human contact
:: The fatality rate of current outbreak is around 50%
:: Scientists are working on two potential vaccines but nothing has been licensed so far
The outbreak was declared by the World Health Organisation as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on August 8.
19 September 2017
Manchester's Girlguides are being urged to help the elderly with a new badge incentivising youngsters to tackle senior loneliness.
[more...]
16 September 2017
Holidaymakers are being evacuated as winds up to 200km per hour hit Central Vietnam, with Typhoon Doksuri damaging houses, roads and infrastructure.
15 September 2017
People in parts of East Anglia are eight times more likely to survive liver disease than Blackpool residents, according to new data by Public Health England (PHE).
14 September 2017
A non-invasive alternative to gastric bypass surgery that helps people with Type 2 diabetes lose weight is being recommended for widespread use by NHS experts.
13 September 2017
Almost half of UK adults travelling to areas at risk of malaria are not covering themselves by taking medication, despite recommendations made by the NHS and world health organisations.
12 September 2017
A new health warning has been issued by scientists in Sweden, suggesting e-cigarettes with nicotine could lead to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
09 September 2017
Researchers have developed a futuristic pen-like device that can tell whether someone has cancer much faster than current technology.
08 September 2017
A staffing crisis in the NHS is seeing cancer patients turned away from their GP surgery and instead visiting A&E, a report has claimed.
07 September 2017
Whether it's binge-watching box-sets, shopping for clothes, chatting to friends or picking up work emails, staying connected is pretty much essential to everyday life.
06 September 2017
Around 1 in 2 GPs do not know that black men have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer, research has suggested.
05 September 2017
Many middle-aged men have hearts in a condition that makes the organ seem older than the men's actual age, a new study has revealed.
02 September 2017
Every cancer diagnosis should involve a discussion about stress, according to an expert investigating the biological impact of "fight-or-flight" responses.