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| Royal hoax phone call inquest: Nurses were 'victims' | Royal hoax phone call inquest: Nurses were 'victims' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Nurses who handled a hoax phone call to a London hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge was a patient were "victims of a prank", an inquest has heard. | Nurses who handled a hoax phone call to a London hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge was a patient were "victims of a prank", an inquest has heard. |
| Nurse Jacintha Saldanha was found dead on 7 December 2012, days after taking a call from two Australian DJs. | Nurse Jacintha Saldanha was found dead on 7 December 2012, days after taking a call from two Australian DJs. |
| Hospital chief John Lofthouse conceded that Mrs Saldanha had made a mistake by not following protocols for such calls. | Hospital chief John Lofthouse conceded that Mrs Saldanha had made a mistake by not following protocols for such calls. |
| The duchess was being treated for morning sickness at King Edward VII's Hospital during her first pregnancy. | The duchess was being treated for morning sickness at King Edward VII's Hospital during her first pregnancy. |
| 'Disciplinary measures' | 'Disciplinary measures' |
| Mr Lofthouse, the hospital's chief executive at the time, said Mrs Saldanha was widely regarded as being caring, compassionate and committed to her role and the hospital. | |
| Asked by coroner Dr Fiona Willcox how the senior management team viewed the incident, he said: "We spent some time discussing it and it was our view that the nurses were the victims of a prank. | Asked by coroner Dr Fiona Willcox how the senior management team viewed the incident, he said: "We spent some time discussing it and it was our view that the nurses were the victims of a prank. |
| "There were some people in the senior management team who felt they breached confidentiality and should be dealt with by disciplinary measures. | "There were some people in the senior management team who felt they breached confidentiality and should be dealt with by disciplinary measures. |
| "My own view and that of the matron and deputy matron was that the hoax had put them in a very difficult position and they should be treated as victims." | "My own view and that of the matron and deputy matron was that the hoax had put them in a very difficult position and they should be treated as victims." |
| Mr Lofthouse said the protocol for nurses was to take the details of the caller then put the phone down and pass the details on for another member of staff to verify. | Mr Lofthouse said the protocol for nurses was to take the details of the caller then put the phone down and pass the details on for another member of staff to verify. |
| He said: "The protocol is very clear, it doesn't matter who the person on the end of the phone is or pretends to be, you follow that protocol." | He said: "The protocol is very clear, it doesn't matter who the person on the end of the phone is or pretends to be, you follow that protocol." |
| "I believe people in that role [answering calls] had had very good training on a one-to-one basis from the night superintendent. But Jacintha Saldanha, despite that training, had made a mistake. So we needed to strengthen the training arrangements." | "I believe people in that role [answering calls] had had very good training on a one-to-one basis from the night superintendent. But Jacintha Saldanha, despite that training, had made a mistake. So we needed to strengthen the training arrangements." |
| 'Embarrassed' | 'Embarrassed' |
| The court heard that Mrs Saldanha later left a message on the HR telephone saying she would not attend a training day. | The court heard that Mrs Saldanha later left a message on the HR telephone saying she would not attend a training day. |
| Mr Lofthouse said he listened to the voicemail several times "to see if there was anything in her tone, any indication of her being upset or wavering and there simply wasn't". | Mr Lofthouse said he listened to the voicemail several times "to see if there was anything in her tone, any indication of her being upset or wavering and there simply wasn't". |
| He told the inquest: "We all regarded her as a very well-balanced robust stable individual. Her death took us all by shock by enormous surprise." | He told the inquest: "We all regarded her as a very well-balanced robust stable individual. Her death took us all by shock by enormous surprise." |
| Mr Lofthouse said Mrs Saldanha appeared "embarrassed" when a small number of staff wished the Duchess of Cambridge well in the matron's office when she was discharged on 6 December. | Mr Lofthouse said Mrs Saldanha appeared "embarrassed" when a small number of staff wished the Duchess of Cambridge well in the matron's office when she was discharged on 6 December. |
| Referring calls | Referring calls |
| Mrs Saldanha was the first nurse to answer a call by DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who imitated the Queen. | Mrs Saldanha was the first nurse to answer a call by DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who imitated the Queen. |
| She passed them to a second nurse on the duchess's ward who gave out details of her medical condition. | She passed them to a second nurse on the duchess's ward who gave out details of her medical condition. |
| John Cooper QC, representing Mrs Saldanha's family, asked to whom she should have referred the call. | John Cooper QC, representing Mrs Saldanha's family, asked to whom she should have referred the call. |
| Mr Lofthouse replied: "There were people within the hospital who were well placed to provide reassurance or otherwise about whether a telephone call was genuine." | Mr Lofthouse replied: "There were people within the hospital who were well placed to provide reassurance or otherwise about whether a telephone call was genuine." |
| He said if Mrs Saldanha had wanted any further advice, a matron lived in an apartment in the hospital and he was on call 24 hours a day. | He said if Mrs Saldanha had wanted any further advice, a matron lived in an apartment in the hospital and he was on call 24 hours a day. |
| Westminster Coroners' Court is sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice for the inquest. | Westminster Coroners' Court is sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice for the inquest. |
| MP Keith Vaz, who has been a spokesman for Mrs Saldanha's family, was again in court for the second day of the hearing. | MP Keith Vaz, who has been a spokesman for Mrs Saldanha's family, was again in court for the second day of the hearing. |