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| Jacintha |
The nurse who apparently took her own life following the royal hoax call scandal was found hanged in her staff housing, it has been claimed.
Mother-of-two Jacintha Saldanha, 46, left a note for her family, it was revealed yesterday.
She had not told her husband or children that she was involved in the incident, meaning the letter may provide their only clue to what prompted the respected nurse to take such a drastic and tragic step.
Prime Minister David Cameron said today that ‘many lessons’ must be learned from the tragedy.
He told MPs: ‘She clearly loved her job, loved her work, cared deeply about the health of her patients and what has happened is a complete tragedy. There will be many lessons that need to be learned.’
A post-mortem examination was held yesterday on the body of Mrs Saldanha, who was the first unwitting member of staff at the King Edward VII Hospital in London, where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated for acute morning sickness, to take the call made by two Australian DJs pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles.
She passed them on to a second nurse on Kate's ward, who was then duped into giving out details of her medical condition
The results of the post-mortem examination are not yet known, and an inquest is due to be opened and adjourned tomorrow.
Family spokesman, Labour MP Keith Vaz, said yesterday Mrs Saldanha's family were demanding answers from the hospital about the circumstances that led to her death.
Although bosses at the hospital in Marylebone have said they will conduct internal inquiries, the nurse's family – husband Ben Barboza, 49, and children Junal, 17, and Lisha, 14 – 'want to know everything'.
Mr Vaz, who has met hospital chairman Lord Glenarthur to demand a full inquiry, said: 'What the chairman of the hospital said to me was that there are inquiries going on in the hospital.
'That is not sufficient for the family. There are unexplained circumstances. The family want to know everything. All the facts, fully and clearly.'
Mr Vaz added: 'The hospital needs to be more pro-active, a full inquiry is needed and the family need to be included in that.
'They are a lovely close-knit family, a Catholic family who will be spending their first Christmas without their mother, and for Ben, without his wife.'
Mr Vaz has also written to Rhys Holleran, chief executive of the radio station's owner Southern Cross Austereo, claiming that his company has yet to make any direct contact with Ms Saldanha's family.
The MP, who is chairman of the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee, conceded there had been a public apology for the incident and its consequences through the media.
But he wrote: ‘I am concerned and disappointed that Southern Cross Austereo appears to have not taken any steps to assist the family.
‘There has been no written apology, no request for a meeting with the family and no attempt to travel to the United Kingdom to express contrition.’
Mr Barboza, an NHS accountant, and his children live in Bristol.
Mrs Saldanha, whose body was found in the hospital's staff accommodation she used during the week, returned to the family home at weekends.
She had been expected home as usual last Friday when police broke the news of her death.
Mr Vaz said: 'They [the family] were in the dark about the hoax call. They hadn't watched the news or seen anything about it. They didn't know they were involved until after Jacintha's death.'
Bosses at the Australian radio station, 2Day FM, have also been under pressure to explain why they gave the go-ahead for the prank.
The company which owns the station, Southern Cross Austereo, yesterday cancelled its staff Christmas party and said it would donate the rest of the year's advertising revenue – some £320,000 – to a memorial fund set up in Mrs Saldanha's name by the hospital.
Chief executive Rhys Holleran said: 'We hope ... we can help to provide the Saldanha family with the support they need at this very difficult time.'
The hospital said it would 'welcome' the gesture.
Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday described Mrs Saldanha's death as 'an absolute tragedy'.
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.'
A St James's Palace spokesman stressed it did not complain about the hoax call, saying: 'On the contrary, we offered our full and heartfelt support to the nurses and hospital staff.'
dailymail.co.uk
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