Nursing home worker 'regrets' claim director 'sounded drunk'

Court hears nursing home worker was formally disciplined for telling colleagues nursing director 'sounded drunk' on the phone

Aged-care advocate Heather Mansell-Brown is being sued for defamation. Picture: Crystal Jones

A NURSING director who is suing an aged-care advocate for defamation was escorted from a Toowoomba nursing home after she was fired, a court has heard.

Millmerran Centenary Retirement Village nursing director Maxine Noone is suing Bundaberg-based aged care advocate Heather Mansell-Brown for defamation.

Ms Mansell-Brown made Facebook posts in October 2017 claiming Ms Noone had been "escorted" from the premises of a previous nursing home she worked at, was drunk on the job, forged staff signatures and altered patient medication without a doctor's orders.

Ms Noone argues her reputation has been damaged and is seeking damages.

On Thursday, the court heard Ms Noone was made redundant from one Toowoomba aged-care facility and Ms Mansell-Brown admitted she had been wrong regarding Ms Noone being escorted from the facility.

But on Friday, the court heard Ms Noone was fired from the Aveo Freedom aged-care facility on Bridge St and her boss walked her from the facility.

Aveo Freedom Bridget St registered nurse Susan Barnett told the court Ms Noone was briefly her boss but was fired due to "abusive" language towards staff.

Ms Barnett will be cross-examined in Brisbane later this month. The court also heard a former Millmerran Centenary Village staff member who worked for Ms Noone at the Millmerran Centenary Retirement Village before she resigned in 2018.

During her time at the facility, staff member called board member John Rogers stating she had just got off the phone to Ms Noone who was "slurring her words" and "sounded drunk".

Brisbane District Court on Friday heard the staff member also told five nursing home staff members that Ms Noone "sounded drunk".

But the staff member was formally disciplined for making the claims and told the court she regretted saying it.

That discipline letter stated staff member had made an "unfounded assumption" and her actions were "completely unacceptable".

Emails tendered to the court stated she had met with Ms Noone and Mr Rogers about poor workplace behaviour the day before she made the call to Mr Rogers.

But the staff member denied the meeting had ever happened, said she never received many of the emails shown to the court and suggested one letter may have been doctored.

The hearing will return to court later this month.

- NewsRegional