Shropshire Ebola flight doctor can finally hug his family again

Dr Martin Deahl, 58, from Newport, is married to Annabel and has two children Alfred, 14, and Cecily, nine, but has not been able to touch them or even hug them since he got back from Sierra Leone in November.

Finally after spending time in isolation he is now able to hug his family and return to work at Central Wrekin Community Mental Health Team in Oakengates.

But his day job is very different compared to what he was doing in Sierra Leone, he is a consultant psychiatrist and works across the county for the South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

When he returned to the UK Dr Deahl became the centre of a media frenzy as it turned out he had been sitting next to Britain's second Ebola victim, nurse Pauline Cafferkey, on his flight home.

When he returned Dr Deahl's temperature was monitored because of his contact with Ms Cafferkey, but he said he knows the risk of infection is low and that all precautions were taken during his time in Africa.

"Sierra Leone was great, very positive but the last few weeks - not so much," he said. "A couple of days after we returned there was a lot more in the media because my mug shot was shown all over the TV.

"I was a prisoner in my own home. I did not go out, only in the cover of darkness but people did recognise me. I have been treading on egg shells around Newport for the last few weeks.

"It was wonderful news to hear my colleague was out of critical care, but I do not know any more then anyone else.

"When I got home my family were on holiday. They left Birmingham Airport at 6am when I landed at 3pm at Heathrow. It was wonderful though when I could finally hug them after not been able to touch them since I returned.

"A lot of fear about this condition and its unfamiliar to people. It is quite understandable that people might want to keep there distance at the moment. People have even taken a step back or give me a hug in equal measure who are not fussed at all but some say they will keep their distance for the time being.

"I have said to patients I won't shake your hand just yet, I will keep my distance."

He said he even had to write a letter to his daughters school, Newport Girls' High School, where he is also a governor, saying that she was not a health risk to the other students.

His colleagues at the centre in Oakengates said when he told them he was off to Sierra Leone they were shocked but thought he was very brave for doing it.

Dr Deahl was one of 30 NHS medics deployed to Sierra Leone, which has been torn apart by the deadly Ebola virus.

But despite all the risks, Dr Deahl says that he could go back this year.

There is currently no known cure for the virus at the moment, but Dr Deahl said it is all about containing it but said people in Britain have nothing to fear.