A suspected COVID-19 outbreak has been reported at Hairmyres Hospital as hospital staff struggle to cope.
The News believes at least six patients linked to Ward 16 at the hospital tested positive for the virus over the weekend.
As a result, several hospital staff are now believed to be self-isolating at home, with the former isolation ward now closed down for cleaning.
The son of an elderly patient at the hospital told the News: “It’s deeply worrying.”
Our source added: “From what we’re being told, the hospital is in chaos.
“Ward 16 is now closed due to the outbreak. There isn’t enough being done to stop this disease spreading.
“A nurse phoned me on Saturday night to inform me that my dad had a positive COVID test – she was just about in tears explaining the chaos the hospital is in.
“She told me that there are outbreaks all over the hospital and that this isn’t an isolated incident. It’s worrying.
“You have loved ones in hospital and you assume they are safe in there. They are not.
“Staff are panicking and the virus is taking a hold of the hospital.”
Our source claims his 81-year-old father was admitted to Hairmyres last Saturday (January 16) due to a recurring infection.
After his condition improved, he was moved to Ward 16 on Wednesday and given a COVID test before entering, which returned a negative reading. He was again tested on Friday, which also showed he did not have the disease.
But our source told us how the family were informed by staff that somebody in Ward 16 had tested positive.
He added: “There’s six people in that ward.
“We were told the person with the positive result was removed from the ward. But on Saturday evening, we were told that dad had now tested positive for COVID.
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“He’s caught the virus in the hospital. Just the same way the other person probably did.”
NHS Lanarkshire offered a response after the News published this story. Their comment is included in print and a secondary online piece to be published on January 26.
Dr Lisa Cameron MP said she had been contacted by a number of constituents regarding the outbreak also.
