Your data on MRCVSonline
The nature of the services provided by Vision Media means that we might obtain certain information about you.
Please read our Data Protection and Privacy Policy for details.

In addition, (with your consent) some parts of our website may store a 'cookie' in your browser for the purposes of
functionality or performance monitoring.
Click here to manage your settings.
If you would like to forward this story on to a friend, simply fill in the form below and click send.

Your friend's email:
Your email:
Your name:
 
 
Send Cancel

Ebola nurse "let down", family believe
Ebola
"We think there have been major failings and we just want her to pull through."

Pauline Cafferkey falls ill for the second time

A nurse who contracted Ebola last year has been readmitted to hospital after falling ill for the second time.

Speaking to the Sunday Mail, nurse Pauline Cafferkey's family criticised the hospital that initially failed to diagnose her second outbreak of the virus.

Ms Cafferkey is said to have visited an out-of-hours GP clinic at the Victoria Hospital in Glasgow last Monday night (5 October). But the GP that assessed her diagnosed a virus and sent her home.

Speaking to the Sunday Mail, Ms Cafferkey's family said they believe the hospital "missed a big opportunity to give the right diagnosis".

Her sister Toni said: "We think there have been major failings and we just want her to pull through."

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) confirmed that Ms Cafferkey attended the out-of-hours GP service on Monday. A spokesperson is quoted by the BBC as saying: "Her management and the clinical decision taken based on the symptoms she was displaying at the time were entirely appropriate.

"All appropriate infection control procedures were carried out as part of this episode of care."

Ms Cafferky was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow on Tuesday, 6 October, before being transferred to the Royal Free Hospital in London in the early hours of Friday morning (9 October).

Dr Emilia Crighton, NHSGGC director of public health, said: "Pauline's condition is a complication of previous infection with the Ebola virus.

"The risk to the public is very low. In line with normal procedures in cases such as this, we have identified a small number of close contacts of Pauline's that we will be following up as a precaution."

Image (c) CDC Global/Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0

 

Become a member or log in to add this story to your CPD history

Annual submission deadline small pet animal exemptions

News Story 1
 Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.

Submitting this annual return ensures continued compliance with regulatory requirements for products marketed without a full Marketing Authorisation. The exemption specifically applies to products intended for animals, cage birds, terrarium animals, small rodents, ferrets and rabbits.

For further details and submission guidelines, visit the gov.uk website.  

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue RZ extended across Scotland

The Scottish Government has announced an extension to a Bluetongue Restricted Zone that is in place in south-west Scotland.

From 3 October, the Restricted Zone will be extended to cover the whole of Scotland. The Animal, Plant and Health Agency (APHA) says this is in response to further disease spread, as well as simplify trading conditions ahead of the autumn.

Since the whole country will share a disease status, it will no longer be necessary to have a movement license to move susceptible livestock around the country. Restrictions on germinal products remain.

As of 1 October 2026, there were 1,979 cases of BTV-3 in England, 389 cases in Wales and 40 cases in Scotland.