A nurse at the state hospital turned up for a shift – despite having tested positive for Covid-19 just hours before.
Carstairs chiefs have now been forced to lockdown the affected ward and are monitoring patients.
The incident, which happened last weekend, has caused anger among other staff and the patients who are now confined to their rooms while the outbreak is managed.
The hospital has managed to prevent any major outbreaks since the pandemic started and sources said the staff are bewildered why someone who had tested for the virus would come into work.
A source said: “Carstairs has managed the pandemic with excellent infection control and strict measures.
“It’s disappointing a member of staff came in for a shift having tested positive at home.
“This person was in the hospital for well over an hour before mentioning to a colleague about the result.
“This person is now self-isolating at home but the ward has been locked down and patients confined to their rooms to contain the outbreak.”
The source said masks are not allowed to be worn out in the grounds for security reasons so the staff member would have come into contact with other people without PPE on.
They added: “Only essential staff are now allowed in the ward and the patients are understandably upset and anxious.
“Being confined to their rooms is not the best for them so stress levels are running high just now. It’s caused a lot of trouble.”
Another source said the hospital has supplied staff to other mental health units which are struggling to maintain staffing levels.
They said: “Everyone at the hospital takes the pandemic seriously and meetings have already taken place with Public Health Scotland, NHS Lanarkshire infection control and the Scottish Government.
“Hopefully the outbreak will stay small and contained.”
Meanwhile, Carstairs has sent staff to the Rowanbank Clinic to help after staffing levels became dangerously low.
One patient has recently died at Rowanbank, which is based in Glasgow and is a medium secure unit, and another is said to be seriously ill
in hospital.
A spokeswoman for Carstairs said: “We comply with all prevention and infection control policies and procedures that are in place across NHS Scotland, including the management of infection outbreaks.”
