THE NURSE found dead after being duped by a prank call from two Australian radio DJs was reassured on a number of occasions by senior management after the hoax, the chief executive of King Edward VII’s Hospital has said.
John Lofthouse also said mother-of-two Jacintha Saldanha (46) was the victim of a “cruel trick”, after which senior staff did not blame her and offered her time off and counselling.
Writing in reply to MP Keith Vaz, who stated Ms Saldanha’s family needed to know the “full facts” of what happened, Mr Lofthouse said: “Jacintha believed that the call was genuine and she felt it appropriate to put the call through. We stand by her judgment.
“Following the hoax call, Jacintha was reassured on a number of occasions by senior management that no blame was attached to her actions and that there were no disciplinary issues involved, because she had been the victim of a cruel trick.”
The nurse, who was from Bristol, was found hanging in her nurses’ quarters by a colleague and a security guard last Friday.
The nurse transferred the DJs, believing they were the Queen and Prince of Wales, to a colleague, who described in detail the condition of the Duchess of Cambridge during her hospital stay for severe pregnancy sickness.
Mr Lofthouse said she was offered a range of support after the hoax, including time off, but decided to continueworking.
He wrote: “Jacintha said that she would prefer to continue working.
“Neither ourselves, her friends or family noticed anything to give cause forconcern.”
Labour MP Mr Vaz, who is campaigning on behalf of the family, had written to Mr Lofthouse, saying: “I have dealt withsimilar cases in the past and I would agree with the Prime Minister that the family need to get the full facts from the time she took the call from 2Day FM to the time she was found in her accommodation.”