Huddersfield hospital chiefs have confirmed they have a plan should deadly Ebola strike in the town.

With medics on high alert across the world, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, has said it has tested its policy and confirmed staff know what to do should the highly infectious virus be suspected in a local patient.

An epidemic of the killer disease began in west Africa last month and health officials are battling to keep it from spreading further.

The Trust’s Medical Director, David Birkenhead, said the policy was reviewed as new information became available.

He said: “Our policy has also been tested and our staff trained to care for patients in a safe manner, including the use of personal protective clothing and the procedure required to isolate a suspected patient.

Huddersfield Royal Infirmary in Lindley
Huddersfield Royal Infirmary in Lindley

“In line with national guidelines, if a suspected case is confirmed the isolated patient would be transferred to a specialist high level infectious diseases unit.

“We would ask anyone attending hospital or their GP with a fever to inform them of any travel outside the UK within the previous 21 days.”

Officials at the Department of Health are thought to be planning mock drills this weekend at hospitals tasked with dealing with any outbreak.

Reports are that at least two real time simulations will be held to assess the response of hospitals, the ambulance service and local authorities.

The exercise will take place on either Saturday or Sunday and details of which hospitals will be chosen to handle the mock cases are being kept confidential to minimise disruption to the exercise, an official said.

But NHS England has confirmed all England’s major hospitals are making preparations in case they have to play a part in tackling the disease, not just the four centres specialising in control of infectious diseases, which would take any initial flurry of patients.

It is thought the Royal Hallamshire at Sheffield could be the centre for the north of England.

An NHS spokeswoman confirmed that all hospitals with the capacity to isolate patients in siderooms or elsewhere were “gearing up” for the possibility of receiving Ebola patients.

It is not known exactly how many of England’s 160 acute hospital trusts have that capacity but it is thought to be the larger ones, totalling several dozen.

Plans to launch screening at UK airports and ports have also been announced but one expert on the disease said it was a “complete waste of time”.

David Mabey, professor of communicable diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: “Why would anyone admit that they have been in contact with someone when they’re in a hurry to get through immigration control when they arrive at the airport?

“People will have been screened before getting on flights and may seem to be healthy if they’re not yet showing symptoms.

“And then what will they do if they think they do have Ebola? Lock them up in solitary confinement?”

Prof Mabey said that instead, the Government should be concentrating on increasing awareness of what people should do if they think they might be at risk.

Asked if he thought there would be cases of Ebola in the UK, he said: “I think it’s bound to happen. We have a lot of links with west Africa. There is lots of coming and going so I’m sure there will be a few cases.”