Royal phone hoax: Nurse’s family ‘in terrible distress’ as DJs break silence

THE family of a nurse who apparently killed herself after being duped by a hoax call made to the hospital treating the Duchess of Cambridge “miss her every moment of every day”, MP Keith Vaz said last night.

Flanked by Jacintha Saldanha’s husband Benedict Barboza and her two teenage children, Mr Vaz said they had been left “devastated” by the loss of a “loving mother and a loving wife”.

The nurse had been fooled by two Australian radio presenters into believing they were the Queen and Prince of Wales in the prank call made last Tuesday to the King Edward VII Hospital in London.

She transferred them to a colleague who described to them Kate’s condition – she was being treated at the time for severe pregnancy sickness.

Ms Saldanha, 46, from Bristol was found dead on Friday.

The nurse’s brother Naveen said his sister was a devout Roman Catholic and would have been “devastated” by her unwitting role in the breach of medical confidentiality.

After meeting the family in parliament, Mr Vaz, who earlier criticised the hospital for not providing Mr Barboza and his children with enough support, told reporters: “They just want me to say that they are extremely grateful to the public here in the United Kingdom and throughout the world who have sent them messages of condolences and support following the death of Jacintha – a loving mother and a loving wife.

“This is a close family. They are devastated by what has happened. They miss her every moment of every day but they are really grateful to the support of the British public and to the public overseas for the messages of support and kindness.”

Mr Vaz earlier visited the nurse’s family yesterday at their home in Bristol and said they were in “terrible distress”.

He said: “The hospital has sent them a letter, which I have seen, but I’m surprised that nobody has made the journey to Bristol to sit with them and offer them the counselling that I think they need.”

His criticism came after the DJs behind the hoax call, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, gave their reaction to the nurse’s death. Interviewed on Australian TV networks, they said they had been left “gutted, shattered, heartbroken”.

The 2Day FM presenters said their prank call to the hospital had led to “a tragic turn of events no-one could have predicted or expected”.

A tearful Greig, who was comforted at times by Christian, told Australia’s Channel Seven: “There’s nothing that can make me feel worse than what I feel right now. And for what I feel for the family. We’re so sorry that this has happened to them.”

Talking about the news of Ms Saldanha’s death, she said: “I remember my first question was, ‘Was she a mother?’

“I have thought about this a million times in my head, that I just wanted to reach out to them and just give them a big hug and say sorry. I hope they are OK, I 
really do.”

A sombre Christian said: “I just hope that they get the love, the support, the care that they need.”

In a second interview, the DJs said they had never expected their fake call would be put through to the duchess’s ward.

They said they expected it to last 30 seconds, and for them to get a telling off and have the phone hung up on them.

Prime Minister David Cameron described Ms Saldanha’s death as “an absolute tragedy”.

Asked about the incident, he said: “I feel incredibly sorry for her and her family. It is an absolute tragedy that this has happened and I am sure everyone will want to reflect on how it was allowed to happen.”

In response to Mr Vaz’s criticism, the hospital said its chief executive, John Lofthouse, had spoken to the nurse’s husband on Friday by phone and offered to meet him any time he wanted.

It said: “Mr Lofthouse also made it clear that the hospital would offer any support it could. Mr Barboza said he was grateful for the offer, and the hospital invited him to reflect on whatever help he would like.”

The hospital has established a memorial fund in the nurse’s name to provide financial support for her family and made the first donation to the fund.

Southern Cross Austereo, the parent company of 2Day FM, said it had suspended advertising on the Sydney station until further notice, ended Greig and Christian’s show and suspended prank calls across the company.

It said: “Several attempts were made by the production team to discuss the segment with the hospital, but with no success. The segment was referred to an internal review process which included internal legal review and authorisation was granted to broadcast.

“The company does not consider that the broadcast of the segment has breached any relevant law, regulation or code.”

Police in London have contacted their Australian counterparts about speaking to the DJs.