Health worker, 42, stabbed at hospital staggered back into work with knife still in her as cops continue to hunt female suspect
Blood-soaked Donna Maxwell, 42, stumbled for help with the blade still lodged in her after being randomly attacked by a female knife fiend in Scotland
A HEALTH worker stabbed by a woman stumbled into hospital with the blade still lodged in her after being ambushed in the facility's car park.
Donna Maxwell, 42, suffered horrifying injuries after being targeted outside a hospital yesterday morning.
It is claimed the mum staggered into the hospital where she works in Ayr, Scotland, with the blade still lodged in her, as sources say she's "lucky to be alive.”
Blood-drenched Donna managed to drag herself back to its addiction support unit to raise the alarm.
And sources told how it is feared the mum’s female attacker picked her at random — after first intending to stab another member of staff.
An insider said: “The knife was still lodged in poor Donna when she came back into the hospital.
“It was a savage, brutal attack and Donna is lucky to be alive.
“One theory is that the attacker arrived at the unit planning to stab another worker.
“But when she couldn’t find who she was looking for, she decided to knife the first person she saw — and that was Donna.
“She doesn’t have any enemies, she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
It’s believed Donna had gone out to her car to fetch something when she was ambushed and knifed at the facility, which specialises in mental health, psychiatry and addictions.
She was taken to Ayr Hospital, where she continues her recovery.
Cops said a female “person of interest” was helping their inquiries.
She was nicked over an alleged breach of the peace in an “unrelated” incident in the Ayrshire area.
But Superintendent Brian Shaw stressed they were still to make an arrest over the stabbing.
Supt Shaw said: “I’m keen to hear from anyone who was in the Ailsa Hospital area at about 10am and has any information about a woman who was seen leaving there shortly after the 42-year-old woman was stabbed.
“She’s described as between 30 and 50, 5ft 2in to 5ft 3ins, with a slight build and pale complexion.
“She was wearing a dark woolly hat and dark jacket.”
The hospital’s car park remained taped off yesterday as officers in white forensic suits continued their investigations.
Mary Graham, 61, who lives across the road, said: “We knew something was wrong when we heard a helicopter circling overhead.”
A local woman, 66, who worked as a psychiatric nurse at Ailsa Hospital but has since retired, said: “Most of the buildings there are now used by community teams as their base.
“The woman who was stabbed must have been terrified. Hopefully she will make a full recovery.”
The shocking incident was raised at Holyrood by Ayr MSP John Scott during First Minister’s Questions.
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He said: “I understand a woman has been stabbed by a patient.”
Nicola Sturgeon told him: “Our understanding is that the injuries sustained are not life-threatening and that police are fully involved.
“Obviously, the safety of staff and patients is of the utmost importance.”
Billy McClean, of NHS Ayrshire and Arran, said: “We are assisting the police and striving to ensure the safety of staff, patients and visitors.”
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