Duchess saddened by hoax call death - Telegraph.co.uk

Her family said in a statement that they were "deeply saddened by the loss of our beloved Jacintha".

Mrs Saldanha had not faced any disciplinary action by the hospital, where managers felt that she had been the unfortunate victim of a "deplorable" trick.

But she described herself as "a very nervous person" and friends said she would have been "hit badly" by the prank, which would have "played on her mind".

Confidential details of the Duchess's condition and treatment for pregnancy sickness were given to Sydney disc jockeys Michael Christian and Mel Greig.

The pair broadcast the call after Mrs Saldanha put them through to a second nurse on the Duchess's ward.

A spokesman for St James's Palace said the Duchess and her staff had not blamed the two nurses and had not complained to the hospital.

"On the contrary, we offered our full and heartfelt support to the nurses involved and the hospital staff at all times," the spokesman said.

He went on: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Jacintha Saldanha.

"Their Royal Highnesses were looked after so wonderfully well at

all times by everybody at King Edward VII Hospital, and their thoughts and prayers are with Jacintha Saldanha's family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time."

The Australian radio station, 2Day FM, expressed its sadness and said Christian and Greig were "deeply shocked" and would not be returning to the air until further notice "out of respect for what can only be described as a tragedy".

The station had previously apologised for the prank but it had replayed the recording of the call relentlessly, and was still broadcasting it hours after Mrs Saldanha died.

Around half an hour before the 999 call that led to Mrs Saldanha being found at 9.25am, Christian was using Twitter to urge listeners to tune in to his show for yet more coverage of the hoax.

John Lofthouse, the chief executive of the King Edward VII Hospital, where the Duchess spent three nights earlier this week, said: "It is with very deep sadness that I confirm the tragic death of a member of our nursing staff, Jacintha Saldanha.

"Jacintha has worked at the King Edward VII Hospital for more than four years, she was an excellent nurse and well-respected and popular with all of her colleagues.

"We can confirm that Jacintha was recently the victim of a hoax call to the hospital.

"The hospital had been supporting her throughout this difficult time.

"Our thoughts and deepest sympathies at this time are with her family and friends.

"Everyone is shocked by the loss of a much-loved and valued colleague."

Lord Glenarthur, the chairman of the King Edward VII Hospital, said it was "a tragic event".

The peer added: "Jacintha was a first class nurse who cared diligently for hundreds of patients during her time with us. She will be greatly missed."

Mrs Saldanha had previously worked at the Southmead Hospital in Bristol, where her partner, Benedict Barboza, and children still live.

The nurse lived in hospital accommodation in London when she was on shift and spent the rest of her time in Bristol.

One neighbour said: "What a terrible tragedy – just before Christmas as well. Oh those two young children – they'll be heartbroken. Her and Ben were a lovely couple, they invited us in for a curry when they moved in."

Another neighbour said: "She was a lovely woman, just so smiley and bubbly. We used to joke with her that she was a nurse for the Queen, she was just so nice."

Mrs Saldanha wrote an online testimonial for her driving instructor, Jeff Sellick, after passing her driving test last year, saying: "I am a very nervous person."

Mr Sellick said of the hoax call: "It would have preyed on her mind. She was very nice but very, very quiet, she wouldn't have said boo to a goose."

Dr Peter Carter, the chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, said: "It is deeply saddening that a simple human error due to a cruel hoax could lead to the death of a dedicated and caring member of the nursing profession."

So far 2Day FM has not been censured by the Australian broadcasting regulator for the prank.

Conor Burns, a Conservative member of the Commons culture, media and sport committee, said: "The regulator in Australia should be taking this much more seriously.

"Their actions haven't just caused inconvenience, as the station claims, they have probably caused the death of a charming nurse.

"There should be serious consequences. The presenters should lose their jobs and there needs to be a serious review as to what they regard as entertainment and what is inappropriate.

"To try to trick a nurse into giving out private information is imbecilic."

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Duchess saddened by hoax call death - Telegraph.co.uk

Dengan url

http://goartikelasik.blogspot.com/2012/12/duchess-saddened-by-hoax-call-death.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Duchess saddened by hoax call death - Telegraph.co.uk

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Duchess saddened by hoax call death - Telegraph.co.uk

sebagai sumbernya