An urgent police search was launched after Craig Graeme Hannah left his ward at midday on Tuesday, August 2. His family are now questioning how Craig, who has severe mental health issues, was able to walk out of Hairmyres Hospital where was sectioned.
The 35-year-old, who has Bipolar Schizoaffective Disorder, was on a 28-day hold when he made his way out of the hospital. Police found him 10 hours later in the Darnley area, after Craig was spotted getting into a taxi at East Kilbride train station.
His mother Andrea McClintock, and her partner John Cairney, are now asking hospital chiefs to launch a full investigation into the circumstances of Craig’s disappearance.
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After receiving ‘conflicting’ reports of the incident from staff, Craigs family are concerned about a lack of safety for patients. His mother Andrea said: “He’s so vulnerable and thinks everyone is his friend, but ends up getting a doing.
“He has been attacked and stabbed several times over the years. Craig ended up getting sectioned on his 16th birthday for over a year after being stabbed five times.
“He’s been struggling over the last few weeks, he’s gotten worse and worse. He has Bipolar Schizoaffective Disorder and he’s been hearing voices.
“He tells me he’s speaking to my mum and dad who have been dead for 30 odd years. He’s been picking rubbish up off the street and taking it into his house because he thinks it’s worth millions.
“He’s only been out of the Leverndale Hospital since the start of the year. He went missing for two days last week and was found walking around in his bare feet, which are covered in blisters.
“He had no idea where he was and told me he'd been on holiday in Little Italy. I thought having him sectioned for 28 days would keep him safe, but now this has happened."
Andrea’s partner John, 58, said: “Somebody needs to be held accountable for this because the next person who goes missing from there might not be so lucky.
“Craig was sectioned on Thursday last week. We’ve been trying to get him in for the last two months because he’s so unwell.
“When we went up to see him on Sunday, they wouldn’t let him go outside for a cigarette with us because he wasn’t allowed to leave the hospital. Then we got a call at 2.10pm on Tuesday saying he had absconded from ward 19.
“His room is right in front of the nurses station and at that ward, you need to be buzzed in and out of the door. They initially told us that no one had seen him leaving and they didn’t know how he had got out.
“Now they’re saying he pushed past the nurses and they couldn’t stop him because there’s no security on the ward. The story keeps changing.
“We asked where the security was on the ward and they said it was the nurses because it’s not a locked unit. People can just wander out - so what’s the point in them being there?
“It’s just madness. Somebody really has to look into this. Is it going to keep happening? How many times does it have to happen before they take notice and make changes?
“People put their family in there thinking they’re going to be safe only to get a phone call saying they’ve run away? Then you’re sitting worrying all day and night.
“I can understand if they’re understaffed with everything that’s going on but to be honest, these places shouldn’t be understaffed. We want a full investigation to take place.
Craig’s disappearance follows the case of David Timlin, who walked in front a train less than an hour after leaving the same ward in December 2021.
General Manager for Mental Health & Learning Disabilities at the hospital, Paula MacLeod, said: “We are sorry this patient’s family have concerns and we would encourage them to speak to Senior Charge Nurse or Service Manager for the ward, or alternatively our Patient Affairs team.”
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