'She smells, she had black teeth': Hospital staff's cruel jibes about teenage patient captured on HER answer phone

The telephone operators were heard joking about their teenage patient being smelly and having black teeth when they forgot to replace the telephone receiver before launching into a good gossip.

Ms Roberts, 19, was horrified by the unexpected character assassination following the polite message asking her make another appointment at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

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The caller chatted with her friend about Ms Roberts's Kurdish boyfriend.

"But come on, who else is going to have her, bless her. She smells, she had black teeth," they said.

The pair, who work at the hospital's genito-urinary clinic, described her as a typical "druggie or alkie".

They accused Ms Roberts of having an alcohol problem.

"That girl didn't think she had a problem. One unit - that's half a lager, half a beer, or one of them small glasses of wine or a shot of spirit. She drinks 100 a week," said the caller.

The hospital have now issued an apology for the hurtful blunder.

Ms Roberts said: "I was totally, totally disgusted to be honest. There was just no need for it.

"I've been together with Bashdir(Mawlwd) for three years and we love each other, so what's their problem?

"They said I drink 100 units of alcohol a week, but I never said that, and the reason I'm thin is because I suffered from anorexia when I was younger".

The James Cook University Hospital has since confirmed that a major investigation into the incident was under way.

"These people are supposed to be there to help you," said Sharon. "So I wasn't happy when I heard the message.

"These kind of things are supposed to be confidential. It should be between me, the doctor and the nurse. I'm completely disgusted. I certainly won't be going back there again."

Chief executive of the South Tees NHS Hospitals Trust Simon Pleydell said: "We would like to apologise unreservedly to Ms Roberts for the distress that this has caused.

"Everyone has a right to dignity, respect and confidentiality and what has happened is totally unacceptable.

"The trust has launched a major internal investigation and we will keep Ms Roberts informed of its progress."

A transcript of the message:

"It's a message for Sharon. Could you please ring health advisor about your appointment that you missed this morning on (number deleted). Thank you.

"That girl didn't think she had a problem. One unit - that's half a lager, half a beer, or one of them small glasses of wine or a shot of spirit. She drinks 100 a week. A lady should be 14 max.

"Hello, sorry... but she weren't no lady."

"I know." LAUGHTER...

"Was she really bad?"

"She was drunk as well."

"She can't have said to you that she drinks 100 units, she must have put it in."

"No, well I said 'oh you drink 100 units', but she won't have said that. It will be the doctor who will have guessed that from what she told him. I don't know how he's got to that."

MUFFLED...

"Here, alcohol intake - the patient doesn't think she has a problem and is not really interested in help. She wasn't bothered.

"How old is she?"

"18."

"The boyfriend said that as well. He's Kurdish Iraqi the boyfriend." MUFFLED...

"Was he canny enough?"

"Yeah."

"Oh yeah, but come on, who else is going to have her, bless her. She smells, she had black teeth. She's a typical either druggie or alkie because she's dead skinny."

MUFFLED... CONVERSATION THEN TURNS TO SOMEONE ELSE...