Pressure is growing for ministers to order ebola testing of travellers arriving in the UK to stop the disease from spreading.
The Government is being urged to follow the US, which unveiled extra airport screening after the death of the first patient diagnosed with the deadly virus in America.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said it is "entirely possible" that ebola could come to Britain.
Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, called for screening at airports, ports and railway stations and for immigration officers to be trained to spot symptoms of the disease.
Handheld thermal scanners which check a person's body temperature are one way to help identify passengers who may have a fever, one of the ebola symptoms.
They are already being used in some African countries but there are questions over their reliability.
Patients can also carry the virus for several weeks before showing any signs of infection.
Public Health England has stated that any worthwhile screening programme would be impractical.
The health agency said it would involve "huge numbers of low risk people" and would be complicated because many travellers often do not fly direct from Africa but change planes on the way.
It said "robust, well-developed" plans were in place for any suspected cases.
Hospitals in London, Sheffield, Liverpool and Newcastle are on stand by to provide "surge capacity" if the virus spreads to Britain.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told Sky News the UK was following World Health Organisation advice that screening is "best done on exit from a country ... rather than on entry".
There are currently no direct flights to the UK from the worst hit countries, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
"It is now entirely possible that someone with ebola will come to the UK by one route or another, but we have very, very good plans in place," said Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
"The NHS has a proven track record of dealing with and helping people with ebola.
"Our ambulance services are equipped with the protective suits.
"But the most important thing we can do to protect the UK's population is to play our part in making sure that the disease is contained in west Africa."
The World Health Organisation has warned the spread of the disease to Europe is "unavoidable".
The Prime Minister decided on Wednesday to boost the UK's military involvement in West Africa to 750 troops after chairing a meeting of the COBRA committee.
Medical ship RFA Argus will travel to Sierra Leone, along with three helicopters, aircrew and engineers to provide transport and support to doctors and aid workers.
Concern about the virus spreading across Europe has grown since Spain confirmed it was dealing with the first case transmitted outside West Africa.
Her condition is reported to have deteriorated and she is now on a ventilator, according to a hospital official.
Australia is also examining a possible case after an ebola nurse returned to Queensland from Sierra Leone.
More than 3,800 people have died in the latest outbreak.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for the world to step up at a summit attended by the leaders of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
:: Watch Ebola Crisis: A Special Report tonight at 8.30pm on Sky News, featuring exclusive footage from Alex Crawford at the heart of the outbreak in Liberia.
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