Behind the hoax (From York Press)

One of the worst things I find about this tragic situation is people in the media, especially the two DJs involved, keep repeating that “it was only a joke, they did not expect to be put through and that their accents were so bad and the false barking of the dogs in the background made it even more implausible” How was this poor nurse, and how are her family supposed to react to these comments which make it appear to be an even bigger mistake to have accepted the call. These comments can have only made the whole situation even more humiliating.

I can fully appreciate how this call could have got through the last thing a nurse caring for sick people would be expecting is for some idiot DJ impersonating a family member to call a hospital and waste her time as a joke.

I for one never thought this remotely amusing from the first reports. A hospital should never have been the target of a prank call from a radio station and those in the media who seek to somehow justify this prank by using the above excuse, it seems to me are making matters worse for the family of the nurse not better.

The call was made in the hope of providing amusement for the station listeners... no malice was intended. Can you imagine a world without humor?

Could it be that the hospitals reaction to the nurse was far from understanding? I don't believe I saw any criticism of the nurse in any of the papers or on any of the TV reports.

The tragic outcome of this 'joke' is awful but I think the hospital and the security services are more to blame. I am astounded that the nurse/receptionist wasn't protected by working to a simple telephone password system. I have always assumed that a royal person in hospital would have a phone password agreed. If that password (and it should have been a changed-daily dated list) isn't quoted then no connection. I think the hospital and the police have serious questions to answer.

Just when I thought this whole sordid tragic event couldnt get any grubbier.
Kieth Vaz got himself involved. ????