Security upgrade amid concerns

The high-security Carstairs hospital is home to about 140 patients from Scotland and Northern Ireland.

It was built in 1939 and was initially used as an army hospital for soldiers returning from the war.

A number of notorious criminals have been housed there over the years and it was the scene of an infamous outbreak in 1976.

Robert Mone and Thomas McCulloch murdered a nurse, a patient and a police officer with axes when facility.

Just last week it was revealed the hospital was in line for a £5 million security overhaul after a string of safety concerns were raised by whistleblowers.

Staff at Carstairs have a strict policy on restraining patients if they become violent or aggressive.

A document dating back to 2013, titled the Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression Policy, is publicly available online.

It outlines the options open to hospital staff if they they fled the are attempting to diffuse a potentially hostile situation with a patient.

These include light sedation, non-secure holds to limit the movement of the patient by holding their arms or wrists, and physical interventions.

The document adds: “These techniques involve trained (level one or level two), designated healthcare professionals and are used as a last resort, to prevent individuals from harming themselves, endangering others or seriously compromising the therapeutic environment.”