After fire, Burnie clinic faces bed shortage — ABC News Australia
In the Australian city of Burnie, a fire caused significant damage to Spencer Clinic, the only specialised public mental health facility in north-west Tasmania. As a result, patients were transferred to other hospitals, while the healthcare workers’ union warned of additional pressure on a system that already lacks beds.
According to ABC News Australia, the fire broke out on Saturday evening at the clinic, which operates at North West Regional Hospital. Police charged a 28-year-old woman with arson. The fire damaged one section of the clinic, while smoke spread through most of its premises. According to Tasmanian Department of Health Secretary Dale Webster, no one was injured.
Patients transferred to other hospitals
At the time of the evacuation, all 19 beds at Spencer Clinic were occupied. Health and Community Services Union representative Robbie Moore said the facility had been operating above capacity for most of the past 12 months.
Under a temporary arrangement, patients were transferred to North West Private Hospital and Launceston General Hospital. Some people were also planned to be transferred to Royal Hobart Hospital. According to Moore, the two other public hospitals are also operating at the limits of their capacity, leaving insufficient available places.
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Moore noted that staff had experienced a traumatic event and needed support. He named expanding the hospital-in-the-home model — a virtual method of caring for patients — as one possible option to partially reduce the bed shortage.
Clinic restoration may take a long time
Webster said Spencer Clinic would likely be unable to admit patients for an extended period. According to him, at the time of the statement, the fire service had not yet handed the premises back to health services, so building inspectors and insurance assessors had not yet been able to inspect the clinic and provide conclusions on further decisions.
The state government had previously announced plans to replace Spencer Clinic with a new A$40 million mental health complex. It is designed for 22 patients and, under the current plan, is to open by mid-2028. Webster said authorities would try to accelerate the opening of the new facility.
Residents of the region experiencing a mental health crisis were advised to go to the emergency department at North West Regional Hospital or call Triple Zero in emergencies.
