British Ebola nurse returns to Sierra Leone

William Pooley, the British nurse who contracted Ebola in Sierra Leone, will land in Freetown tonight and return to work at an isolation unit run by UK medical staff tomorrow.

He said he could not stand “idly by” and watch more Africans die from the outbreak, which has claimed more than 4,500 lives.

“I chose to go before and it was the right thing to do then and it’s still the right thing to do now,” Pooley told the Guardian. “I’m excited to get back out there. I want to get back to work.”

He was evacuated to Britain from Sierra Leone on August 25 and made a full recovery after being treated at the Royal Free hospital in north London.

The nurse may have immunity to this strain of Ebola, but added: “I have also been told it’s a possibility that I don’t, so I will just have to act as if I don’t.”

International development secretary Justine Greening said today that the international community had to "take a stand" with Ebola and that European leaders "need to do more".

David Cameron has written to European Union leaders calling for them to double their contribution to £800 million ahead of a summit later this week.