A psychiatric nurse saw one of her colleagues being held in a headlock by a patient and slammed into a locker, the Supreme Court in Hobart has heard. Medical doctor Arlene Maree Taylor, 35, who was a patient at the Royal Hobart Hospital’s psychiatric intensive care unit in September 2015, has pleaded not guilty to assaulting a nurse on September 24. Nurse Jennifer Symonds today said she was working on the day the alleged assaults took place. “I saw Elizabeth being pulled up in a headlock by Arlene and I saw Arlene dragging Elizabeth out the bedroom door,” Ms Symonds said. She said she and another nurse went to help their colleague. “Elizabeth … was unable to free herself … she was being thrown about and ended up being thrown into a locker,” Ms Symonds said “When she was slammed up against the locker, her eyes went bulgy — for want of a better word — and she screamed out in pain and dropped to the floor briefly.” Dr Taylor, who is representing herself, told the jury she did not dispute that a scuffle took place. Dr Taylor said she had been detained under the Mental Health Act against her will at the time. She said detained patients “can be administered medications against your will”. Dr Taylor said whether she was intoxicated at the time to the point the insanity defence could be invoked would be an issue on the trial. Crown prosecutor Tony Jacobs said the alleged assaults were clearly intentional. The trial, before Acting Justice David Porter, is continuing.
March 19, 2019
An application by Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (s.240 – Application to deal with a bargaining dispute) will be determined by Fair Work Commissioner Wilson in the Fair Work Commission 11 Exhibition Street in Melbourne (10am).
March 19, 2019
Latrobe Regional Hospital has a s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) to answer before Deputy President Clancy in the Fair Work Commission 11 Exhibition Street Melbourne at noon (Scott).
March 19, 2019
Wintringham will be forced to answer a s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) at 10am before Deputy President Millhouse in the Fair Work Commission 11 Exhibition Street Melbourne (Jomy).
March 19, 2019
Unison Housing Ltd will have to deal with a s.739 (Application to deal with a dispute) before Fair Work Commissioner Wilson in the Fair Work Commission 11 Exhibition Street Melbourne at 2pm (Castellanos).
March 18, 2019
An application for approval of the ACON Health Ltd Enterprise Agreement 2018-2021 (s.185 – Application for approval of a single-enterprise agreement) will be reviewed by Deputy President Boyce in Hearing Room 14-2 – Level 14 in Sydney.
March 18, 2019
The Health Services Union and Uniting (Victoria and Tasmania) Limited are arguing the merits of a s.739 (Application to deal with a dispute) before Fair Work Commissioner Yilmaz in Court 4 and Conference Room C – Level 6 in Melbourne at 2pm.
March 18, 2019
A s.185 (Application for approval of a single-enterprise agreement) from HammondCare for its HammondCare Residential Care (Victoria) Enterprise Agreement 2018 has been ratified by Deputy President Cross in Sydney on 11 March 2019.
