A KEIGHLEY soldier who led a seven-week mission to Sierra Leone as part of the British Army’s response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is back home.

Lieutenant Colonel Phil Carter, of 5 Medical Regiment at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire, was part of a team deployed to establish the Ebola Training Academy in Freetown.

During its deployment, the squadron successfully trained more than 4,000 medical personnel, who will now work across the five treatment centres currently being built in Sierra Leone by the UK’s Royal Engineers.

Lt Colonel Carter, 42, said the drills taught during the medical training could make a “massive difference” in the worst-affected ‘red zones’ in the battle to save lives.

“I’ve obviously been deployed many times before, but this tour was focused on a specific outbreak of a disease which was new to all of us,” he said.

“We ensured we were fully trained up before we went, to make sure we understood the situation and the nature of Ebola.

“Our job was to ensure enough staff were trained up to be ready as soon as the 700 treatment beds open, and we trained more than 4,000 personnel during the seven weeks, which can only have a major impact on tackling the outbreak.

“I am confident there are now sufficient healthcare workers available. In the short time we were there, you could see the significant progress being made.

“Everyone is really pulling together to tackle the disease, and the work is really making a difference. It is evident the message is getting across.”

The soldiers led the delivery of a series of three-day courses covering procedures to help stop the spread of the disease, which has claimed more than 7,000 lives in Africa since March, including 2,000 in Sierra Leone.