Police are hunting for a woman after a health worker was stabbed in a hospital car park.

The community support worker was attacked at Ailsa Hospital in Ayr, on Scotland's west coast, at about 10.05am.

Police placed the hospital on lockdown as they carried out an "extensive search of the local area".

The health worker, 42, was taken to Ayr Hospital, which is next door, and is in a "serious but stable" condition, Police Scotland said, adding that her family had been informed.

Image: Police locked the hospital down as they carried out a search of the hospital

Officers are now searching for a woman who left the area shortly after the stabbing.


She is described as being about 5ft2in to 5ft3in tall, of a slight build with a pale complexion.

Early on Thursday evening officers said they arrested a woman on an unrelated matter, but she is of interest to their enquiries into the stabbing.

It is not clear what role she played in the incident.

Police Scotland reopened the hospital to patients at 1pm, but the car park which remains closed.

INCIDENT UPDATE



University Hospital Ayr and Ailsa Hospital are no longer on lockdown.

Movement around the site can be now be resumed, with the exception of the courtyard car park in front of Addictions Services. — NHS Ayrshire & Arran (@NHSaaa) November 22, 2018

MSP for Ayr, John Scott, raised the incident at First Minister's Questions, saying: "I understand a nurse has been stabbed by a patient".

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the woman's life was not believed to be at risk, and she would be getting a "full update" as soon as she left the chamber.

Billy McClean, from the local health board, said staff were "assisting Police Scotland with their investigations".