Medway Hospital is ready and "on alert" for a potential outbreak of Ebola.

A spokesman said no cases had been reported but that patients displaying symptoms would not be met with panic - as reportedly happened at University Hospital in London over the weekend.

"Everybody is on alert," they added.

Infection management protocol at the hospital had been reinforced with the latest guidance from Public Health England about Ebola Virus Disease, said a statement from the hospital.

"Staff knowledge and awareness of these existing infection prevention and control policies and key contact points in and out of hours has been reinforced.

"In the event that an individual does present with a travel history to an affected area and symptoms that are indicative of Ebola, they would be managed appropriately locally before being transferred to one of the designated specialist hospitals for treatment."

Tina Murphy, manager at the Medway-based Health Action Charity Organisation, has worked closely with communities in West Africa, and African community in Medway - and said she was confident the virus could be contained.

"I’m from Nigeria and when it got to Nigeria they contained it, "she said. "People are talking about it. Colleagues I have from Sierra Leone and Liberia - they are worried about their families back home, but there’s not much they can do at the moment."

She said cancelling flights from Sierra Leone and Liberia would not stop determined people travelling, but that screening at airports was proving effective.

"Screening is the best thing to do when they arrive in the UK," she added. "That will be effective. If someone’s temperature is higher than it should be they should be tested."

Her words followed warnings last week from University of Kent expert, Dr Jeremy Rossman, that the 'exponential' spread of Ebola in West Africa must be stopped soon to avoid a threat to the UK.

Virologist Dr Rossman said that without more resources and medical practitioners, it would be difficult to stem the tide of disease that has so far affected more than 8,000 people.

He said it was unlikely that isolated Ebola cases in the UK would spread, but warned the situation could change if the explosion of cases in West Africa was not brought under control.

Recent trends show an exponential increase in cases, with almost 35% of the new infections arising in the last three weeks.

In Sierra Leone it is estimated there are five new cases every hour.