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Victim of prank call to Kate Middleton hospital found dead in suspected suicide
- Thread starter zomgbbqftw
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Double-secret probation.
Rubbish King
The gift that keeps on giving
Heard this on the radio at work.. Poor lass 
RIP and condolences to the family, feel bad for the aussies too, wouldn't want that on my conscience
RIP and condolences to the family, feel bad for the aussies too, wouldn't want that on my conscienceNot sure if this is her. It says shes a nurse on her facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/jacintha.saldanha.1?v=wall&story_fbid=190563020990941
https://www.facebook.com/jacintha.saldanha.1?v=wall&story_fbid=190563020990941
She was a nurse. There apparently was no receptionist at the time, so the nurse took the call and transferred to another nurse (the one actually looking after Kate).
Don't know if the clip that I heard was edited or not, but it seemed like the woman didn't even ask any questions or anything, just put her right through.
Must've been already depressed as fuck.
That prank call was so tame, the "patient information" given out so negligible, that I had honestly thought it receiving any media attention to begin with was ridiculous.
Its sad for the woman, but suicide? I mean she probably got a bit of ridicule for it, that added to depression...
That prank call was so tame, the "patient information" given out so negligible, that I had honestly thought it receiving any media attention to begin with was ridiculous.
Its sad for the woman, but suicide? I mean she probably got a bit of ridicule for it, that added to depression...
Conrad Link
Member
I genuinely felt sad over this when my partner told me about it this morning. How tragically stupid an outcome.
Hadn't follow the story much but I knew about it and, its just really sad and pointless.
I feel sorry for everyone involved now, the family, the radio guys, the royals!
I don't blame the radio guys it was just a silly prank and didn't warrant the 'outrage' from the stupid media at all. But obviously there was enough pressure or shame or something coming from somewhere to make this lady do that.
So stupid, so pointless.
I initially accused the hospital they prolly got super angry and threatened firing or discipline over the big uproar but apparently thats not the case, so why?
How tragically stupid an outcome.Hadn't follow the story much but I knew about it and, its just really sad and pointless.
I feel sorry for everyone involved now, the family, the radio guys, the royals!
I don't blame the radio guys it was just a silly prank and didn't warrant the 'outrage' from the stupid media at all. But obviously there was enough pressure or shame or something coming from somewhere to make this lady do that.
So stupid, so pointless.
I initially accused the hospital they prolly got super angry and threatened firing or discipline over the big uproar but apparently thats not the case, so why?
That's fuckin problem. A prank call is just a prank call until it fucks up badly. You don't prank emergency services. You have to be a special nutcase or a human with with worthless values to want to prank call a hospital.
Hospitals deals with people lives. You want prank calls? Try a friggin restaurant. You may get cheap laughs there without fucking things up
Have you heard the call? Seriously tame as it gets...
quit. It was a dumb prank. And believe it or not, hospitals get crank calls all the time, like most places guaranteed to be open 24/7. The outrage should be over the fact that this would be a great embarrassment, and that someone MIGHT consider it significant enough to deserve punishment.
If you think this ended at that ward with a few giggles, and a "poor you" from the head nurse, you're kidding yourself. I would blame that situation and would direct my hostility at that instead of some bad DJ phone pranks. I don't let them off entirely, but the brunt if the fury shouldn't be aimed at them.
In fact, all that was said was that she was having trouble sleeping and some other non-information that a new reporter might get out of a nurse if they were to have called a hospital. The problem is that this was the "special" hospital that had been given the "honour" of serving the Duchess and other royals and they didn't like that one of their nurses had been so impious in sharing those minor details. It might have made them look bad, and they might not have gottem special preference in the future. That was the gist of every article about this before she killed herself.
If you think this ended at that ward with a few giggles, and a "poor you" from the head nurse, you're kidding yourself. I would blame that situation and would direct my hostility at that instead of some bad DJ phone pranks. I don't let them off entirely, but the brunt if the fury shouldn't be aimed at them.
In fact, all that was said was that she was having trouble sleeping and some other non-information that a new reporter might get out of a nurse if they were to have called a hospital. The problem is that this was the "special" hospital that had been given the "honour" of serving the Duchess and other royals and they didn't like that one of their nurses had been so impious in sharing those minor details. It might have made them look bad, and they might not have gottem special preference in the future. That was the gist of every article about this before she killed herself.
Way to miss the point - taking up the time of emergency services with prank calls is bad enough, but to trick a nurse into disclosing patient information as well? I don't see how you're not getting the severity.
I agree it's stupid and shouldn't have been done. (Heck I hate all prank calls, awkward humor is as lame as it gets)
However the things I'm reading about how the radio hosts should be dealt with are completely over the top and reactionary.
Why weren't people calling for their jobs etc before this woman did what she did. (Which is completely horrible)
I don't think calling a hospital counts as emergency services. Emergency services are ambulance, fire service and the police service on 999.
Just thought i'd point that out before more people start saying emergency services.
Haven't read the entire story (or read through the whole thread), but aren't prank calls (done by radio stations) usually pre-recorded? At least that's how it works with this one radio station I listen to during my morning drive to work.
At the end of the prank (and following commentary), they play a disclaimer that says that all parties were made aware of the prank before its actual airing and have agreed to let it air.
At the end of the prank (and following commentary), they play a disclaimer that says that all parties were made aware of the prank before its actual airing and have agreed to let it air.
OpinionatedCyborg
Member
failing to protect a patient's confidentiality is a really big fuckup and disciplinary action or a stern talking to would be entirely appropriate. further, the hospital denied reprimanding her, did they not? so she may not have been disciplined at all. I don't think any hostility is justified or worthwhile.
Yes it was pre-recorded and 'approved' by the show director.
No I've never heard a disclaimer play on Australian radio like the one you describe.
Personally, I'd chance the review board if it was me. And if it was such a serious breach. I didn't hear any personal information being divulged, and her co-worker who gave her the phone had told her that it was a family member speaking.
And do you think they hospital would say that they reamed her out, and then later found her dead in the park? And really I'm not calling for hostility, but if people are angry, stop making a gigantic deal over the stupid bit of nothing this prank call was.
edit: I don't really think "Oh, she's had a bit of trouble sleeping through the night, but she's doing better." Really qualifies as "personal health information". That could just be me.
I guess prank calling an orphanage or a safe home for abused women is ok too then.
Hospitals even if it's only the helpdesk are responsible for dealing with people in trouble and their relatives, aside from the whole privacy matter and endangering people's job with deception, you don't go waste their time for the sake of one sided comedy relief.
Nobody could have predicted it would lead to a suicide but prank calling a hospital is certainly a sign of appalling taste.
I don't believe that there was no disciplinary action taken at all. This is a major breach of the data protection act and in any other scenario the person responsible would be having a serious talk to about it.
I hate to break it to a lot of you guys, but it is actually allowed in many hospitals to give out patient information to next of kin. I work in a long term care facility, and as long as the family member is listed in the patient chart, the nurse in charge is allowed to disclose information pertaining to their conditions. It is a huge loophole that needs to be addressed though. This just proves that anyone could impersonate the 'next of kin' for all patients/residents on the unit to obtain as much information as they want.
The nurse in question was probably allowed to do what she did.. despite the ridiculousness of it all being the Queen/Charles etc.
The nurse in question was probably allowed to do what she did.. despite the ridiculousness of it all being the Queen/Charles etc.
IdreamofHIME
Member
They have to do that with candid camera shows, but not prank calls. Not sure why.
There's no way one of the most exclusive hospitals would have OK'd a radio station to have pranked them and to then air patient details (however minor) on air.
OpinionatedCyborg
Member
I am not familiar with the UK's laws, but I am guessing there are certain protocols at each hospital in place to prevent things like this from happening. Surely you confirm it is the family member before divulging any personal information? A password, a phone number, a specific family member's name, etc. If the person calling doesn't know the password or isn't on the list... don't tell them anything... or call them back when you can confirm they are legit (check their number, speak to your Pt, etc.). And you can always transfer the call to the patient if the patient is capable of taking calls. In the case of a celebrity, I would've expected more barriers to be in place to prevent this from happening... If the hospital really had not protocols for dealing with these types of situations, then that is a huge admin error....
I think we agree that blaming the prank callers for the suicide is ridiculous. It was done in poor taste. However, they aren't responsbile for her death (nor is the hospital who may or may not have disciplined her and the second nurse).
The second nurse gave more information than just saying "she's stable," which is too much - retching, her sleeping patterns, etc. Obviously, that information may not be embarassing for most people (and the royal family did joke about it the following day), but it should still not be passed along to a stranger and it is a breach of privacy.
The Data Protection Act 1998 should cover it.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/29/contents
It's a pretty major thing to do with people storing information about other people so I don't believe for a second the people who gave the information didn't get a bollocking.
Devolution
Member
This was probably the last straw to a stressful life and job. This is why pranks can be especially bad. Calling up a hospital just seems like the bottom of the barrel. You're wasting time and energy away from medical care. Fuck asses.
K
kittens
Unconfirmed Member
I don't understand. She answered a prank call, exchanged nearly no words, and then killed herself? I... don't understand.
OpinionatedCyborg
Member
Oh yes, I think I said in my initial post that this was a pretty big fuckup, but that was from a North American perspective. HCPs, nurses especially, are tasked with protecting confidentiality. It wouldn't be inappropriate or unsurprising if she was reprimanded.
EdibleExplosives
Member
Americans seem to love the royal family more than Britain itself at this point.
Yeah the Data Protection Act is pretty big. I'm studying computer programming and all the way through from doing computing in A levels you're taught about it.
I NEED SCISSORS
Banned
Just read about this and it's deeply saddening.
I see there are a lot of people downplaying the effects that a prank like this can cause (not necessarily on here, but around the interwebs). I don't view it as any sort of last straw - more-so that the sheer national (even international?) reaction to this event created a single crushing log that broke the camel's back.
Personally, I know I can go from very happy to extremely depressed for weeks just because of an embarrassing event at a party (and no, I am not bi-polar). So I know that just the reaction of a handful of people at a single event, however tiny, can be devastating - multiply this by literally millions of people, then factor in that it's an important work situation, media involvement and damaging ongoing internet meme potential, and it's easy to see how disastrous it would be to a person who might be susceptible.
I see there are a lot of people downplaying the effects that a prank like this can cause (not necessarily on here, but around the interwebs). I don't view it as any sort of last straw - more-so that the sheer national (even international?) reaction to this event created a single crushing log that broke the camel's back.
Personally, I know I can go from very happy to extremely depressed for weeks just because of an embarrassing event at a party (and no, I am not bi-polar). So I know that just the reaction of a handful of people at a single event, however tiny, can be devastating - multiply this by literally millions of people, then factor in that it's an important work situation, media involvement and damaging ongoing internet meme potential, and it's easy to see how disastrous it would be to a person who might be susceptible.
BadAss2961
Member
KamikazeTY
Banned
As usual people want someone to blame. Prank calling and shock jocks are childish, however, I'm sick of people feeling the need to blame other people for an individual's action. If someone was willing to commit suicide over this they had to be pretty close to the edge already.
I don't understand why you'd feel sorry for the DJs. I don't think what they did was wrong, but they're not really deserving of sympathy.
LQX
Member
Since when?
BadAss2961
Member
They already had to go off air and are gonna get tons of shit for this.
It was probably not the call directly, but the mountain of shit the newspapers have made of it.
They'll be fine. If Kyle (DJ on the same network) can get a 14yo girl to take a live lie detector test and admit to her mum she was raped and not get so much as a slap on the wrist?
Yeah, these two will be fine.
Maybe it was her job to verify the caller until she transfers any calls.
Arozay
Member
Wasn't the kid lying about the rape or something? Remember reading something about that.
Bay Maximus
Banned
That is nuts. Let the conspiracy theories begin.
Just shows how fucking dumb Australians and Australian radio can get.... of all the people in the world to prank call, they try to pretend they are the royal family. This is obviously not a spur of the moment thing, they would have to practice their accents and it would need to be cleared by the producers... producers probably in their 30s or 40s who have had ample experience. Obviously not enough life experience to know you don't mess with hospitals and the royal family...
and sad that the DJs were still boasting about making international headlines after the call...
the royal family is sacrosanct, there's 120 million britains who would not make the same call out of respect of their privacy... Australians are so far removed from the rest of the world they don't have a clue about the world they live in....
i honestly believe there's a massive problem with commercializing media, because you get stunts like this that do things just for ratings and absolutely lame shows with no value at all... i look at government backed BBC and see how much better it is to have channels that are informative and not purely driven by commercial reasons alone.
here in australia there are prank calls on radio ALL the bloody time and yes they are funny to a certain extent but some of them are really cruel and frankly they are getting old. I suspect australian radio will forget all about this in a month or so and carry on making prank calls.
all in all i fucking hate australian radio... so glad we live in the era of podcasts where I can listen to my own shit. Sometimes I feel like I don't belong with the mainstream cause i don't listen to commercial radio or watch commercial TV. bleh....
and sad that the DJs were still boasting about making international headlines after the call...
the royal family is sacrosanct, there's 120 million britains who would not make the same call out of respect of their privacy... Australians are so far removed from the rest of the world they don't have a clue about the world they live in....
i honestly believe there's a massive problem with commercializing media, because you get stunts like this that do things just for ratings and absolutely lame shows with no value at all... i look at government backed BBC and see how much better it is to have channels that are informative and not purely driven by commercial reasons alone.
here in australia there are prank calls on radio ALL the bloody time and yes they are funny to a certain extent but some of them are really cruel and frankly they are getting old. I suspect australian radio will forget all about this in a month or so and carry on making prank calls.
all in all i fucking hate australian radio... so glad we live in the era of podcasts where I can listen to my own shit. Sometimes I feel like I don't belong with the mainstream cause i don't listen to commercial radio or watch commercial TV. bleh....
funkystudent
Member
Really messed up story.
I do a bunch of radio stuff when i get the chance and I have worked with the kind of hosts who love doing this kind of prank call BS. Never liked it. Always told them to do it themselves if they wanted and to keep me out of it. Its just juvenile and stupid in a way I cant get behind.
I would guess pressure from the media hounding her and her family 24 hours a day afterwords played a big part in pushing her over the edge but I wouldn't be shocked if she had underlying troubles as well. Poor women and thoughts go out to her family and kids.
I do a bunch of radio stuff when i get the chance and I have worked with the kind of hosts who love doing this kind of prank call BS. Never liked it. Always told them to do it themselves if they wanted and to keep me out of it. Its just juvenile and stupid in a way I cant get behind.
I would guess pressure from the media hounding her and her family 24 hours a day afterwords played a big part in pushing her over the edge but I wouldn't be shocked if she had underlying troubles as well. Poor women and thoughts go out to her family and kids.
Mecha_Infantry
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