British nurse who survived Ebola heads back to fight the epidemic

The British nurse who survived Ebola has flown back to the country where he caught the virus as he prepares to rejoin efforts to tackle the epidemic.

William Pooley said he was “delighted” to return to Sierra Leone as he attempts to prevent “as many unnecessary deaths as possible” from the disease.

The 29-year-old was due to arrive in the capital Freetown last night before resuming work today in an Ebola isolation unit run by UK medical staff, King’s Health Partners said.

He became the first confirmed Briton to contract Ebola and was flown back to the UK in August, where he was treated at the Royal Free Hospital in London with experimental drug ZMapp - global supplies of which have since run out.

“I am delighted to be returning to Sierra Leone to join the King’s Health Partners team. I would like to once again thank the team at the Royal Free Hospital and the RAF who provided me with such excellent treatment and support.

"But the real emergency is in West Africa, and the teams out there need all the support we can give them," he told the Press Association.

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