

If I prank call the Australian Radio Station.....

(118 Posts)
Goldmandra Fri 07-Dec-12 20:11:36

....and tell them they're on a charge of corporate manslaughter?

I wonder how funny they would find that angry

VicarInaTutuDrankSantasSherry Sat 08-Dec-12 13:00:46

there is an art to prank calling, and a very fine line between a funny prank call and a tasteless, twattish prank call.

this was the latter.

LadyBeagleBaublesandBells Sat 08-Dec-12 13:05:18

As far as I remember Jeremy Beadle's 'victims' had the choice whether their humiliation was broadcast or not.
Jacintha was not given the choice, her and the other nurse (and I wonder how she is feeling now) weren't.
I'm still a bit doubtful about the hospital's spokesman expressing their sorrow, actually.
I bet they gave her hell and put her in fear of her job.

Loveweekends10 Sat 08-Dec-12 13:07:09

I do think that Aussies have poked fun of the royals for quite some time. This is all part of a wider cultural anti royalist feeling in Australia.

It sounds as though the nurse had other issues but the bottom line is they took advantage of a sick person just to get a laugh.

But hey they say they haven't broken the law and the presenters are shattered! Oh poor dears. What about that nurses children. How shattered are they?

Thumbwitch Sat 08-Dec-12 13:11:32

The news I've seen here suggests that many people are as shocked by the outcome and unhappy with the prank call as the British; and actually the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are relatively big news here, the speculation in the glossies about her being pregnant has been going on for months (very boringly) and my MIL, when we heard she was pregnant, said "oh God, we'll be hearing about that endlessly now until she has it, and then about the baby".

Not all Aussies want out from under the Monarchy and the Royal Wedding and the visit by Kate and Prince William have probably increased their popularity here.

thebody Sat 08-Dec-12 13:14:12

I think it's so sad for everyone. Lets not turn this into a witch hunt now. Enough lives shattered already

Enough now.

Viviennemary Sat 08-Dec-12 13:33:23

I agree that J Beadle's victims were given the choice about publicity but they didn't know at the time about the prank. It isn't quite the same I admit. And I also agree that nobody's knows for sure if the nurse was reprimanded or taken of that job or any other sanctions. The media created the global storm not the DJ's. I am not a royalist and deplore this hysteria surrounding all things royal.

Doinmummy Sat 08-Dec-12 14:52:38

I wonder if initially the nurse was reprimanded and only later the hospital decided to ' support' her. I can imagine if it happened where I work, the initial reaction would have been' You did what????You stupid idiot . There will be serious consequences ' etc etc'

Doin I agree

As I posted elsewhere

My mum is a nurse who has dealt with a similar situation with the press and an incident.

She is pretty damn sure the hospital would not have given their backing no matter what they say. It was an embarrassment to the hospital and they would have wanted a scape goat for that embarrassment.

She also said the nursing council hang you out to bloody dry, she would have been terrified that she would not only lose her job but be struck off.

HouseOfTinsel Sat 08-Dec-12 16:03:41

I still don't understand why it should be a nurse's job to act as a 'security guard' on a hospital switchboard. She should not have been put in that position, surely?

DayShiftDoris Sat 08-Dec-12 17:14:53


Totally agree with yr mum and it was first thing I said...

I think it should provoke a debate about how nurses & midwives are REALLY supported in their roles, especially when an incident occurs.

janelikesjam Sat 08-Dec-12 17:26:43

Idiots for sure. But who are the idiots who are listening to this stuff on the radio in the first place?

Goldmandra Sat 08-Dec-12 22:14:41


The same people who read the tabloids then criticise journalists when they hound celebrities/royals.

It is sad to note that AFAIK no broadcasters have made a statement saying they won't indulge in this ridiculous prank calling in the future. It is clearly too popular.

OhDearNigel Sat 08-Dec-12 22:23:19

but I can't help wondering why the nurse felt that she had no other way out than to take her own life??

This is only a theory and I may be barking completely up the wrong tree but the nurse was Indian and I wonder if she felt she had brought irrevocable shame on her family ?

OhDearNigel Sat 08-Dec-12 22:24:46

and also agree with those that are saying she was probably expecting to be hung out to dry. that's how public bodies work - foist the blame on the workers and absolve yourself of blame

Goldmandra Sat 08-Dec-12 22:38:19


Anyone who makes or enables prank calls like this knows they are risking causing distress and disruption in the lives of those they catch out. It was inevitable that one day they would do it to someone with terrible consequences. They only had to pick on someone vulnerable. They knew the risks they were taking and it was worth it to them to keep their ratings up.

hiddenhome Sat 08-Dec-12 22:45:21

I was thinking that OhDearNigel. People seem to be assuming that this woman was depressed or mentally ill or something hmm Perhaps she just got a huge shock and couldn't think of how to deal with it any other way sad

I saw her family on the tv news tonight and they looked shattered and broken. My heart went out to them. I have worked with quite a few Indian nurses and they are always very professional and come across as thoroughly decent people.

hiddenhome Sat 08-Dec-12 22:48:59

All nurses live in fear of the NMC and ending up in front of them one day. In general, the public don't know about this and what goes through a nurse's mind when she/he screws up. It's not only your job you lose, it can be your entire career. If this woman was facing this, in another country, with possibly no wonder she felt so distraught.

Labelling her as 'depressed' or 'having issues' or being 'mentally ill' is just a cop out angry

Thumbwitch Sat 08-Dec-12 22:53:53

It's not that she was supposed to play security as such, but she didn't follow basic security principles, which she should have done for any patient.

I hate prank calls - I think they are appalling and don't see the humour in the public humiliation of someone - I feel so sorry for that nurse, because I also believe she would have been disciplined for her actions and possibly lost her job and any hope of getting another one. I feel desperately sad for her family too, that she perhaps couldn't see any other way out of the mess but this would have hounded her for some time to come. sad

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