Jacintha Saldanha's death

So sorry to hear that the nurse who fielded the original call from the Aussie radio appears to have taken her own life. It comes to something when there seems to be no alternative but suicide as a means of release from one's troubles. The radio intrusion is on a par with paparazzi and the whole vile celebrity culture, and although many found it funny they don't consider the effect of their actions on an entirely honourable woman. With the world's press looking on it made worldwide headline news, and coupled with the radio stations' glee at their work the pressure on the nurse must have been unbearable.

...and they call it entertainment.

Yes it is sad to hear that she has taken her own life.....  

I do not understand how low people must be to do such a thing and leave family and friends behind though.

I think the British media is also to blame and not just the two DJ's in question.

RIP

There is more to this than meets the eye: I have an awful feeling someone in her chain of command has given her a real bollocking and she took it far to deeply. Only a gut feeling, but can't see any other reason she'd kill herself: most of us would have laughed it off and dined out on it for years!

It was a bit of fun and i bet the 2 DJs are regretting it now, they didn't mean for somebody to die

Quoted from jock dock tower

So sorry to hear that the nurse who fielded the original call from the Aussie radio appears to have taken her own life. It comes to something when there seems to be no alternative but suicide as a means of release from one's troubles. The radio intrusion is on a par with paparazzi and the whole vile celebrity culture, and although many found it funny they don't consider the effect of their actions on an entirely honourable woman. With the world's press looking on it made worldwide headline news, and coupled with the radio stations' glee at their work the pressure on the nurse must have been unbearable.

...and they call it entertainment.

Big shame and completely agree over the celebrity culture thing.On another level reminds me of other situations in which Ive read about  where sometimes people are deliberately cruel and insensitive at the expense of others eg kids who severely bully others at school and due to the susceptibility of their young age some are unable to cope and sadly take their lives

Don't really see much difference between this case and endless pranks that Jeremy Beadle used to do, or Candid Camera before that (there are probably more recent examples but I haven't watched any sort of light entertainment on TV for 10 years or more). It's an age old formula, make a fool of someone and film or record them. The only difference this was live (I think). Beadle probably had a few that he had to trash because people reacted badly but I don't recall there being any criticism of it at that time.

I recall Noel Edmonds pulling the same kind of stunts years ago on his Sunday morning radio shows - maybe these pranks do take advantage of the innocent but ever since I was a kid people have laughed at the misfortune behind Candid Camera and Beadles About etc

I can only imagine that there must be something more to this case than her just taking the call in the first place and transferring it...that alone surely couldn't have sent this woman over the edge?

Whether the true story and all the events will come out in due course though is unlikely....it would mean too much negativity surrounding the royal baby story and we can't have that can we?

I can only think there must have been something else in her life that was troubling her and this pushed her over the edge? We don't know her personal circumstances.

Quoted from MyDogsThoughts

There is more to this than meets the eye: I have an awful feeling someone in her chain of command has given her a real bollocking and she took it far to deeply. Only a gut feeling, but can't see any other reason she'd kill herself: most of us would have laughed it off and dined out on it for years!

I'm with the Dog on this - she was never actually named in the press, neither of the nurses were, in fact she merely transferred the call - she wasn't actually the one who was recorded and gave the info in Kate's condition and I don't see that alone driving her, as a highly trained responsible professional, to take her life .

For all their protestations and aggrieved statements sent from the head man to the radio station, I have a gut feeling the hospital have a case to answer here in terms of disciplinary action (maybe even making her in fear of being struck off) or at least a very very aggressive bollocking which she possibly because of the sort of woman she was affected her more than the average person

Anyway what the fcuk was a trained nurse, on night duty (when staff are at a premium anyway) in a 'top' London hospital doing manning the switchboard anyway? Given the number of genuine calls they must have had from the press during Kate's time in there surely a receptionist could have been offered a bit of overtime FFS

Quoted from GrimRob

Don't really see much difference between this case and endless pranks that Jeremy Beadle used to do, or Candid Camera before that (there are probably more recent examples but I haven't watched any sort of light entertainment on TV for 10 years or more). It's an age old formula, make a fool of someone and film or record them. The only difference this was live (I think). Beadle probably had a few that he had to trash because people reacted badly but I don't recall there being any criticism of it at that time.

There is a big difference between the stunts done by Jeremy Beadle and this. Firstly, his stunts were done at the invitation of family members of the 'victim' who wrote into his show. Extensive research was carried out with the family as to whether the subject could take the joke when it was revealed and secondly the stunt was only ever broadcast with the permission of the person who was tricked - if they said no, it wasn't used. On Candid Camera the rules were similar; the victims were always told it was a joke before they left and had to give their permission for it to be shown.

Whereas what these two so-called pranksters did was deliberate subterfuge, possibly illegal and broadcast without the consent of the people used (for that is what they were - used). There is a world of difference.

Now I know this ladies' suicide could not have been intended or even foreseen but if you are going to do tricks like this and use innocent parties to do it then you have to take the consequencies if it goes wrong.

"Comedy" which this prank was supposed to have been always has a victim, otherwise there'd be no joke. Getting the balance right between what can be construed as genuinely funny, or that which can be said to be sick / obscene is fine indeed, so there's maybe a bit more awareness required not just upon those who carry the prank out, but their employers who sanction such tactics in an effort to get a greater audience. What concerns me in this episode is that it wasn't "off the cuff" but had been lengthily discussed between the radio station owners and their solicitors - but with no concern for those who might take offence at the intrusion. This was all about generating advertising revenue by getting the show talked about.

The "gag" was played constantly, not just as a one off. They were determined to make money out of it. Now they have the unfortunate death of Jacintha to deal with, and the huge loss of advertising revenue because of organisations not wishing to be associated with them, they may have to take a well deserved introspective look at themselves. I genuinely feel for the people who actually carried out the gag, as they were doing what their employers wanted them to do, otherwise they'd not have run it past the legal eagles in the first instance. They'll have to live with the fact that their actions may have caused Jacintha's suicide. Without a suicide note there's no way to prove one way or another that it was, or wasn't their fault, means they have to live with it for the rest of their lives.

How are Kate and Wills dealing with the tragedy? The poor dears.

Public humiliation, not just in Britain but worldwide, and magnified many times over due to the 'celebrity' status of the 'royal' couple.
Someone who took her professional duties, including the legal implications of patient confidentiality very seriously indeed.
Living in a blame culture - public inquiries and reports cropping up nearly every day on the news, detailing how nurses, police, social workers, teachers, you name it, are failing in their duty as public servants.
Insecurities at work due to spending cuts and reviews, fear of redundancy and frightening unemployment levels, leading to a dread of getting into trouble at work, or being seen as 'not up to the job' - and possibly added anxiety due to family responsibilities, mortgage, debts, cuts in welfare and public contempt shown towards people claiming benefits.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/aug/14/rise-suicides-blamed-impact-recession

R.I.P.

its kind of ironic that two Australians have a pop at the  heads of the British aristocracy and it ends up going mammaries-up.  was this not the same aristocracy that sent many of our forefathers to Australia for "petty" crimes like poaching rabbits etc to feed their starving children? its a shame about the nurse for clearly she was on the brink anyway,but lets not  forget what the royal elite and their landowning lords did to our people years ago,they are all crooks and in-breds to this day.

Quoted from ska face

How are Kate and Wills dealing with the tragedy? The poor dears.

i bet it didn't stop them tucking into their foie-gras?

Listening to the news this morning, I think more will come out from the hospital side,

In my opinion Jacintha was more upset from the reaction she got from her hospital bosses than the actual prank,

Its a very sad situation but nobody could have envisage this tragic outcome.

RIP Jacintha.

Interesting that some of those outraged on this thread are quite happy in other threads to strongly insinuate that certain celebs are paedophiles without any evidence at all. I wonder how they'd feel if an innocent person killed themselves because false rumours of sexual abuse became too much for them to bear.

I think any prank calls to someone in hospital regardless of back ground is disgusting and not funny in the slightest.  One thing that is obvious in all this, is that this prank has played a major part in her decision to take her life, shame on those involved.

R.I.P. Jacintha

Some People listening to the prank call would of found it funny now everyone is saying how discusting it was, I dont blame the dj's they were just doing their job we humans love the pranks, jokes and windups, this woman had mental issues and would certainly merritt an award for overreaction of the year, feel sorry for her family tho.

Quoted from 2578

Some People listening to the prank call would of found it funny now everyone is saying how discusting it was, I dont blame the dj's they were just doing their job we humans love the pranks, jokes and windups, this woman had mental issues and would certainly merritt an award for overreaction of the year, feel sorry for her family tho.

You could be on to something, I'll give the McMillan nurses a ring and make out I'm a relative and ask if Mr X has had his chemotherapy yet.  I'll record it so we can urine our selves laughing about it later.

Prank calls to hospitals should be treated the same as false 999 calls.  This is about as funny as that bearded tosser phoning up Andrew Sachs telling him he had slept with his grandaughter.

Quoted from 2578

Some People listening to the prank call would of found it funny now everyone is saying how discusting it was, I dont blame the dj's they were just doing their job we humans love the pranks, jokes and windups, this woman had mental issues and would certainly merritt an award for overreaction of the year, feel sorry for her family tho.

The crass stupidity of that statement reflects really poorly upon you.

Quoted from jock dock tower

The crass stupidity of that statement reflects really poorly upon you.

Well being honest I think I could probably have lived with it ,I know nurses have a tough job to do and they have my utmost respect but killing yourself and leaving your two kids orphaned is a bit of an over reaction if you ask me.
Maybe nurses have some samurai  warrior code that they must keep if they make a mistake ?

Quoted from the ace face

its kind of ironic that two Australians have a pop at the  heads of the British aristocracy and it ends up going mammaries-up.  was this not the same aristocracy that sent many of our forefathers to Australia for "petty" crimes like poaching rabbits etc to feed their starving children? its a shame about the nurse for clearly she was on the brink anyway,but lets not  forget what the royal elite and their landowning lords did to our people years ago,they are all crooks and in-breds to this day.

aristocracy or australians? or both?

Quoted from grimps

Well being honest I think I could probably have lived with it ,I know nurses have a tough job to do and they have my utmost respect but killing yourself and leaving your two kids orphaned is a bit of an over reaction if you ask me.
Maybe nurses have some samurai  warrior code that they must keep if they make a mistake ?

Iam with dogs thoughts on this in that once I heard of the prank I thought nothing else of it (hence I remember Steve Penks wind ups on capital radio some years back where a big success and he even brought out cds on the calls-remember he got through to the house of commons on one of them) and was surprised and saddened to hear of her death after.

Quoted from grimps

Well being honest I think I could probably have lived with it ,I know nurses have a tough job to do and they have my utmost respect but killing yourself and leaving your two kids orphaned is a bit of an over reaction if you ask me.
Maybe nurses have some samurai  warrior code that they must keep if they make a mistake ?

But what mistake did she make?

It seems that she was acting as a receptionist and passed the call forward for someone else to deal with...not a nursing issue at all I'd say

Why the poor woman then chose to end her life no-one will ever know but just by chance taking a random call, causing her to give up on everything - her family and her life - I just can't fathom it  

Quoted from jock dock tower

The crass stupidity of that statement reflects really poorly upon you.

So you believe that it was a reasonable thing to do? To take your own life on the back of a silly prank to which she wasn't even really to blame for? So how is it that the nurse who actually divulged the information is able to restrain herself from doing so?

Quoted from FishOutOfWater

But what mistake did she make?

It seems that she was acting as a receptionist and passed the call forward for someone else to deal with...not a nursing issue at all I'd say

Why the poor woman then chose to end her life no-one will ever know but just by chance taking a random call, causing her to give up on everything - her family and her life - I just can't fathom it  

I believe there is more to this than we are being told,

Either she took her own life for some other reason and it had nothing to do with this prank,

Or the hospital who keep saying she was not  disaplined in any way, gave her a big bollocking which she could not take.

Quoted from grimsby pete

I believe there is more to this than we are being told,

Either she took her own life for some other reason and it had nothing to do with this prank,

Or the hospital who keep saying she was not  disaplined in any way, gave her a big bollocking which she could not take.

Call me a cynic but like you Pete I think there's more to this than meets the eye

Because it's all wrapped up with the royal baby story though I have a feeling that there will be a cap on any real info being made public

Quoted from FishOutOfWater

Why the poor woman then chose to end her life no-one will ever know but just by chance taking a random call, causing her to give up on everything - her family and her life - I just can't fathom it  

Maybe she had a relationship in the 1970s with Jimmy Saville which she  never mentioned but has traumatised her every since. Thousands of others are coming forward....

Quoted from AlfredTheGreat

Maybe she had a relationship in the 1970s with Jimmy Saville which she  never mentioned but has traumatised her every since. Thousands of others are coming forward....

Maybe you meant that tongue in cheek Alfred but to be frank, it's a bit on the insensitve side of things and not particularly funny  

Quite a few bad opinions on this, what ever the reasons the woman was probably already suffering with some form of depression this may have pushed her over the edge who knows.

A prank gone wrong I remember beagle doing a prank on a taxi driver at a posh wedding the poor guy almost had a heart attack.

These pranks on people they know nothing about are so stupid.

Quoted from Mrs Doyle

Quite a few bad opinions on this, what ever the reasons the woman was probably already suffering with some form of depression this may have pushed her over the edge who knows.

A prank gone wrong I remember beagle doing a prank on a taxi driver at a posh wedding the poor guy almost had a heart attack.

These pranks on people they know nothing about are so stupid.

On one hand that was quite a big prank, on the other hand quite small

Quoted from Mrs Doyle

Quite a few bad opinions on this, what ever the reasons the woman was probably already suffering with some form of depression this may have pushed her over the edge who knows.

A prank gone wrong I remember beagle doing a prank on a taxi driver at a posh wedding the poor guy almost had a heart attack.

These pranks on people they know nothing about are so stupid.

One of Noel Edmonds programs resulted in a death, I think it was a stunt that went wrong.

I've mentioned it a few times on here but certain institutions like hospitals, morgues, funeral homes are not places for pranks.  What if Kate had lost the baby and ms Saldanha had told them.  By playing pranks you have to calculate and judge the reaction and possible out comes.  Yes they expected to be cut off but they didn't and should have taken that into account when deciding to go forward with the call.  We are all responsible for our actions and by not acknowledging that you are showing how ignorant you are.

Quoted from Marinerz93

One of Noel Edmonds programs resulted in a death, I think it was a stunt that went wrong.

I've mentioned it a few times on here but certain institutions like hospitals, morgues, funeral homes are not places for pranks.  What if Kate had lost the baby and ms Saldanha had told them.  By playing pranks you have to calculate and judge the reaction and possible out comes

The outcome here was that some disgusting little commoner would possibly speak to someone who looks after a woman who might one day be the Queen. And that is the prank. That is the whole essence of the joke, that some bottom-feeding nobody could almost speak to one of the untouchable Royals.

What a flipping world we live in.

Quoted from ska face

The outcome here was that some disgusting little commoner would possibly speak to someone who looks after a woman who might one day be the Queen. And that is the prank. That is the whole essence of the joke, that some bottom-feeding nobody could almost speak to one of the untouchable Royals.

What a flipping world we live in.

Absolute bullshit, the only outcomes were (1) they get cut off (2) they get through.  (1) They get cut off and giggle about it (2) They get through then what (a) blag a condition report on a woman who has been bleeding due to a complication with her pregnancy (b) they find out she lost the baby (c) they get through to Kate who bursts her waters laughing so hard that a couple of nobody ozzies get through to her pretending to be the queen.  

There is no funny outcome here, the suicide only highlights how vile this prank was.  Anyone who pranks a hospital or thinks it's ok just because someone is famous doesn't deserve air.  I've worked in a hospital as an electrical engineer and I've seen the stress the nurses and doctors are under.

What a flipping world we live in indeed.