THE Scots nurse who survived Ebola would have never knowingly placed anyone in danger and is "relieved the process is at an end" after being cleared to practice again.

Pauline McCafferkey was yesterday cleared of misconduct as questions were asked over the infectious disease control gateway in England that allowed her to travel with the disease.

The nurse, from Cambuslang, was accused of allowing an incorrect temperature to be recorded in a "chaotic" screening centre in Heathrow on her return from Sierra Leone in west Africa in late 2014.

Read more: Scots Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey cleared of professional misconduct

But an independent panel at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in Edinburgh yesterday found three charges against her not proven and her fitness to practise was not affected.

Following the hearing, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: "Sending my very best wishes to Pauline Cafferkey.

"Her bravery is an inspiration to all of us."

The NMC panel ruled her judgement at the airport in December 2014 had been so impaired by the developing illness that she could not be found guilty of misconduct.

It was claimed she had not acted to correct an inaccurate temperature recording on a form which she had not filled out after arriving at the end of a 22-hour journey, already suffering from Ebola.

But Ms McCafferkey's lawyer Joyce Cullen said: "She willingly put her life at risk to travel to Sierra Leone to work as a volunteer helping to treat people suffering from Ebola.

"She and hundreds of other volunteers played a vital role in saving lives, helping to curb the epidemic in extremely challenging circumstances."

Read more: Scots Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey cleared of professional misconduct

The registered nurse of 18 years had spent a six week period in Sierra Leone.

Ms Cullen added: "Public Health England were unprepared for the volume of people returning from countries affected by Ebola.

"There were also serious failures in communication amongst the Public Health England staff.

"It is perhaps ironic given the criticisms made of Public Health England's processes it was their complaint which led to the NMC investigation and these proceedings being initiated against Pauline. No doubt lessons have been learned."

The NMC had alleged Ms Cafferkey, from Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, allowed an incorrect temperature to be recorded during the screening process at Heathrow on December 28 that year and she left a screening area without reporting her true temperature.

Independent panel chairman Timothy Cole said it was not disputed Ms Cafferkey was "jetlagged, exhausted and experiencing the early effects of a significant viral load of Ebola" at the crucial time.

He said: "The panel was of the view that in your diminished medical state, you were swept along by events and it was satisfied that in order to make a finding of misconduct, it would be necessary to find a degree of participation which was absent in this case.

Read more: Scots Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey cleared of professional misconduct

"On that basis, the panel was not satisfied that your actions could properly be characterised as misconduct."

Ms Cafferkey appeared to smile as she left the hearing room.

NMC chief executive Jackie Smith said: "The referral from Public Health England showed a highly unusual set of circumstances that clearly required a thorough and proper investigation. In circumstances like this, it is right for an independent panel to hear all the evidence to decide if any action is required."