Staff at Watford and St Albans hospitals are prepared should they encounter a patient presenting signs of Ebola.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told MPs on Monday he expected a handful of Ebola cases before the New Year. 

He added the UK was one of the "best and most prepared countries in the world" in the event of an outbreak.

The national media reported that staff at London’s University Hospital panicked after being confronted with a suspected Ebola patient over the weekend. 

But Professor Tracey Carter, the Chief Nurse and Director of Infection, Prevention and Control for Watford, St Albans and Hemel Hempstead hospitals, said her staff are ready.

She said: "It’s important to remember that the overall risk to the UK public from Ebola continues to be very low.  

"We continue to follow the advice we receive from our colleagues at Public Health England, NHS England and others to ensure we are doing all we can to help protect people, patients and staff from the risk of Ebola.  

"This includes making sure our staff in key areas, such as A&E, are aware of the signs and symptoms of Ebola."

Screening for the disease, which has so far claimed the lives of 4,033 people around the world, began at Heathrow Airport and Eurostar terminals on Tuesday.

Prof Carter said: "The virus is only transmitted by direct contact with blood or bodily fluids of an infected person. 

"The UK has robust, well-developed and well-tested systems in place for managing infectious diseases when they arise, supported by a wide range of experts."

Initial symptoms for Ebola include a fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, and intense muscle weakness. 

They are followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain, a rash, impaired kidney and liver functions and bleeding.