It's interesting that nobody has commented on the role that the King Edward VII Hospital played in this sad development - particularly its Governor, Lord Glenarthur who is ultimately responsible for both incidents - the "prank" and the suicide.

There are several unanswered questions about this that suggest it was the negligence of the Hospital itself to implement protocols to prevent such an incident from occurring in the first place, and then severly admonishing and allegedly suspending those staff involved without pay that also probably contributed to the nurse' suicide.

Then there are the Royal "minders" who also share some degree of responsibility.

It's not as clear-cut as the self-serving media make out.

Wobbles,
Can you supply a link to an article that states the hospital repremanded and suspended the nurses.

To the best of my knowledge, the hospital issued a statement saying it did not intend to take any action regarding the staff who were duped, although I saw another article saying the two staff members were due to have talks with management early this week.

My thoughts mirror those of runner and csteele.

While it is a tragedy, some have taken it on themselves to move en masse to bully the two DJs for what was intended as a harmless prank. While pranking is an inane practice and further highlights the LCD approach to media, DJs and radio stations have been doing it for years. Who would have predicted such an outcome.

The full facts are not yet known including if there was permission sought from the targets of the prank - it now seems there was not which is another issue.

If one was to analyse all behaviours and actions of the DJs, the radio station management, the hospital, the royal family and hospital staff concerned, I am sure all parties would choose to do something different with the knowledge and wisdom of hindsight.

The best approach is one of sympathy and compassion for all concerned for what was a tragic set of circumstances. Why do people always look for someone to blame then target them without mercy.

Pelican,
I disagree with you.

I felt the two radio jocks should have been sacked for pretending to be relatives of a hospital patient in order to gain information. That to me is a sackable offence and I held that view before the nurse died.

At the very least the radio station knew the duped nurses would be in trouble once it was broadcast.

It is the radio station that is trying to blame others for their part in the death, unintended as it was.

They are saying "Don't blame us, we only gave her a push, it was gravity and the concrete below that killed her"

Banjo

No-one disputes the DJs were wrong in seeking private information about a patient which is I believe illegal and they should have stopped immediately when they realised their prank call had been taken as legitimate.

I agree they went too far but what we are seeing is nothing short of a lynch mob and to quote one commentator 'wise and calm heads are needed now' in the aftermath of this incident (can't remember who it was now)