Prank Royal phone call causes nurse to commit suicide

[Audley Strange]

I say we just find some way to blame either The Jews, the Illuminati or Misogynists for this and be done with it.

[Kristie]

If she wasn't an idiot she wouldn't have fallen for it.

[mistermack]

If she wasn't an idiot, she wouldn't have killed herself.

Falling for things is a lot easier in real time, than in hindsight.

[Bella Fortuna]

I say we just find some way to blame either The Jews, the Illuminati or Misogynists for this and be done with it.

The Jewlluminogynists?

[odysseus]

It's unfortunate, but also unforeseeable. Doubtless the DJs will pay the price through Twitter death-threats etc.... There's fault in many areas here. Maybe some people will learn from it....

[Audley Strange]

I say we just find some way to blame either The Jews, the Illuminati or Misogynists for this and be done with it.

The Jewlluminogynists?

It all makes sense...

[Cormac]

Yes, everyone is entitled to privacy. But, in a hospital, it's the responsibility of the staff. Both nurses were insanely stupid for discussing the patient over the phone without being sure of who they were talking to. Like the queen is going to call and check on her! I'm sure the queen has someone there, waiting on information, ready to keep everyone updated personally. It's even like that with most non-famous people.
Both nurses should be fired, regardless of wether or not the call was a prank.

Well, one of them is dead now...

[Kristie]

I know. But had she not killed herself, she should've been fired.

[Cormac]

The point is that even if she had been suicidal prior to that call, it doesn't mean that these people are absolved of responsibility. (See my points above about eggshell skull).

Any hospital staff member in that circumstance would be subject to disciplinary procedures, which is serious enough and quite distressing. They'd also have been held out to ridicule in front of their colleagues. I've seen similar things happen to nurses in hospitals, and the disciplinary procedures can take several years to complete.

Those DJs are showing a great deal of remorse now, but had she not killed herself, they'd have gone on, and not given a stuff about whether or not that lady's jib was under threat and so on.

And apart from that - we're also talking about a person that was sick in hospital. They thought it appropriate to contact staff treating a patient to elicit some information and make a joke? What if the nurse had revealed something important - like that a miscarriage had occurred, or that the baby had some severe developmental problems? Everyone is entitled to privacy, and in particular, medical privacy. Even the royals.

It is for the hospital to assess competence and manage performance, not a radio production team in Australia.

The correct response to a call saying "hello I'm the queen" is pull the other fucking one it's got bells on. The woman was obviously incompetent. If she cant even follow procedure answering the phone she shouldnt be handing out medicine. An hero is a favour to us all.

[Cormac]

I would say that the people who REALLY are at fault are the palace.
These nurses had obviously been given no guidance whatsoever for dealing with phone calls. How can they just assume that the nurses have the ability to deal with press or possible hoaxes? I would put more of the blame on the palace, that anybody else.

They are the ones who are in the know, who deal with loonies, press and hoaxes on a daily basis.
There should have been some help and guidance offered, or a phone number that calls could be transferred to, with somebody experienced able to answer.

These palace officials get enormous benefits, and are a complete waste of space.

The people who are to blame are the people who picked up the phone, dialled the number, and passed themselves off as family members.

[Kristie]

The people who are to blame are the people who picked up the phone, dialled the number, and passed themselves off as family members.

Um, no. Part of the job of a nurse is to protect a patient's confidentiality. If a dude calls with a comical British accent claiming to be the queen, staff at the hospital should've at least questioned them a bit more before blabbing info over the damn phone.

[Cormac]

If she wasn't an idiot, she wouldn't have killed herself.

Falling for things is a lot easier in real time, than in hindsight.

[Cormac]

It's unfortunate, but also unforeseeable. Doubtless the DJs will pay the price through Twitter death-threats etc.... There's fault in many areas here. Maybe some people will learn from it....

It was foreseeable that someone could face disciplinary action if the prank succeeded, up to and including termination.

They are 100% to blame.

Whether or not protocols should have been more effective is another story, but has nothing to do with where blame lies.

[Cormac]

I know. But had she not killed herself, she should've been fired.

SHe would certainly have faced disciplinary proceedings. Possibly she would have been fired.

[Cormac]

The people who are to blame are the people who picked up the phone, dialled the number, and passed themselves off as family members.

Um, no. Part of the job of a nurse is to protect a patient's confidentiality. If a dude calls with a comical British accent claiming to be the queen, staff at the hospital should've at least questioned them a bit more before blabbing info over the damn phone.

Yes, but that is between the hospital and their staff member. Possibly between the family and the staff member.

But the blame lies with that production team.