Queen's prank call

[EXC]

An Australian radio station put through a prank call from the 'Queen' to Kate Middleton's hospital to ask how she is and by all accounts the nursing staff fell for it, actually giving details on her condition and treatment.

EDIT - deleted

Re: Queen's prank call

Hear, Hear!

They had the chance to edit, or not to broadcast. a bid Oops IMO.

[EXC]

Re: Queen's prank call

Am not sure whether you are aware but the prank was pre recorded and then the decision to broadcast it was made. It was not a "live on air" prank.

In my view this is where the station is going to come unstuck. Knowing that the piece disclosed personal medical information they then decided to broadcast it. So any defence that they didn't realise the nurse was about disclose it won't assist them.

[leclerc]

Re: Queen's prank call

It seems that the Australian radio station are in breach of broadcasting rules and regulations and could be fined a huge amount of money. This was just announced on the BBC news.

which would be paid from any advertising or profit that the company already had. At worst they broadcast a private telephone conversation. Usually in these circumstances the DJ's will no doubt be allowed to resign or they will be sacked by the station as will the person who allowed the broadcast to go ahead. That blood letting is required to keep advertisers and to keep the station afloat. It is a betting certainty despite them not actually doing that much wrong. The inquest begins into the nurses death next week but this is usually when they open and suspend the inquest for a period of time to allow the furore to die down.

Personally, I do not think that the two DJ's are responsible for the death of the nurse but they will always remember her death long after we have all forgotten about her name. It's a storm in a teacup and something else will undoubtedly take over the news once they have given us every view from every angle.

[leclerc]

Re: Queen's prank call

I accept it was an accident. I accept it is possible no laws were broken (though not definite). What I find unacceptable is the fact the pranksters did not terminate the call once they realised personal information to which they should not be party was being revealed and broadcasted.

There is nothing wrong with prank calls per se, but once they exceed a certain boundary of reasonable acceptability, they should terminate the call. IMO, the presenters had a duty to ensure that if they were going to make the call, they did so within reasonable limits which were surpassed here.

We will never get consensus as we all have differing opinions, so, as I said above, I believe our input should be to extend sympathy to the loved ones left behind after this tragic death. Were the family to need support with debt after this, and come to this site, it would be good to think they would see sympathy, not a lengthy discussion of the rights and wrongs. They will, I am sure, happen at places where they can actually do something about it.

Am not sure whether you are aware but the prank was pre recorded and then the decision to broadcast it was made. It was not a "live on air" prank.

[EXC]

Re: Queen's prank call

In the UK, no medical staff may give out any information to anyone unless it is other medical staff involved with your treatment, not even your mother.

That's not my experience at all. I think it's perfectly acceptable and common practice for a hospital to give the kind of information asked for and given to the DJs to genuine relatives.

[shell]

Re: Queen's prank call

This was a prank and we all laughed when we heard it. Yes I laughed, probably more in disbelief at what the nurse was revealing than anything else, but laughed I did. The fact the nurse then decided to end her life is very tragic, but no one is sure this is what caused it. If this call caused it then there must have been extenuating circumstances. You can't blame the DJ's for that. Just because you don't know someones background, doesn't mean you are guilty if after talking or maybe joking with them, they then take their own life. We cannot go through life scared to say anything to anyone in case those words tip them over the edge.
As for the DJ's, even they were shocked at what was revealed. I get the impression they were fully expecting to be told to b*gger off. In the UK, no medical staff may give out any information to anyone unless it is other medical staff involved with your treatment, not even your mother. The first nurse did the right thing by passing the call onto someone else, unfortunatly that someone else never.

[wales01man]

Re: Queen's prank call

Whats done is done and unknown to anyone a tragedy happened it no seems that the players in this the aussies and hospital are releasing apologies air enough but the hospital must take some of the blame for the cal getting through in the first placesecurity for somewhere that has such high profile people seems lacking?
Now the media seems to be trying to blame the poor nurses fate on oher issues without producing evidence first and foremost the thoughts of us all should be with the nurses family not those who are playing the blame game the story will soon be old news

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: Queen's prank call

if the poor woman was of a nervous nature, or had been bullied in the past, the slightest thing could put her over the edge.

I can understand a prank like calling up the zoo and asking for Miss C Lyon... or (and I hold my hands up to doing this) Calling people up and asking if Mr Wall was in? but to ring up a hospital, repeatedly say you are a relative and enquire about their health is wrong! I could understand "Hi we are 2 Aussie DJ's can you tell me if Princess Kate is ok, and pass the thoughts of Australia on to her!" but to say you are her granny!!!

Regardless of if she was princess Kate, or Kate Smith of Watford its WRONG!!

The poor woman must have been mortified!

[MissFM]

Re: Queen's prank call

Good.

And please may I add my very best wishes for your recovery Tuttsi? - v. glad you are feeling better!

Re: Queen's prank call

It seems that the Australian radio station are in breach of broadcasting rules and regulations and could be fined a huge amount of money. This was just announced on the BBC news.

[EXC]

Re: Queen's prank call

She didn't give out any information but nonetheless she fell for a prank that was broadcast for people to laugh at across the world.

The Chairman of the hospital summed it up in the letter he wrote to the radio station:

"The immediate consequence of these premeditated and ill-considered actions was the humiliation of two dedicated and caring nurses who were simply doing their job tending to their patients''.

As seems apparent, for some people that's too much to live with.

[salsmoss]

Re: Queen's prank call

Why would a nurse commit suicide for giving info out, very odd just like the spy locked in a bag...very odd.

Re: Queen's prank call

I accept it was an accident. I accept it is possible no laws were broken (though not definite). What I find unacceptable is the fact the pranksters did not terminate the call once they realised personal information to which they should not be party was being revealed and broadcasted.

There is nothing wrong with prank calls per se, but once they exceed a certain boundary of reasonable acceptability, they should terminate the call. IMO, the presenters had a duty to ensure that if they were going to make the call, they did so within reasonable limits which were surpassed here.

We will never get consensus as we all have differing opinions, so, as I said above, I believe our input should be to extend sympathy to the loved ones left behind after this tragic death. Were the family to need support with debt after this, and come to this site, it would be good to think they would see sympathy, not a lengthy discussion of the rights and wrongs. They will, I am sure, happen at places where they can actually do something about it.

[leclerc]

Re: Queen's prank call

It was absolutely the intention of them. In asking ''how is her little tummy bug'' the intention was clearly to obtain medical information (albeit a subsequent intention to speaking to Kate directly) and they did.

The DJ repeatedly attempted (and probably succeeded) in deceiving the nurse into believing that she was ''the Queen'' and ''Kate's grandmother'' (which even the Queen isn't anyway), by a method Lord Justice Leveson coined as 'blagging''. I'm sure that breeches OFCOM privacy regulations (which cover radio) as there's clearly no public interest defence and also the DPA.

Hear is the view from Australia. The answer is that it is unlikely it breached any laws in Australia.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/ente...208-2b26x.html