One person is in custody after a fire tore through a mental health unit at the North West Regional Hospital in Burnie tonight.
Police are investigating the blaze and say the person is helping them with their inquiries.
Police and Tasmania Fire Service crews from Burnie and Devonport were called to the Spencer Clinic at the hospital around 6:30pm.
Crews arrived to find the unit “fully engulfed in fire”, the Tasmania Fire Service said.
The fire has since been contained to the Spencer Clinic area.
Firefighters remain at the scene keeping an eye on conditions.
No serious injuries have been reported, although some patients have been treated for smoke inhalation.
Health and Community Services Union state secretary Robbie Moore said the night had been “very traumatic” for staff.
“There’s obviously been a lot of chaos,” he told Pulse.
Moore said all patients had been taken out of the Spencer Clinic and children in the nearby Wombat Ward had also been moved.
He understands many Spencer Clinic patients are being sent to Hobart.
“That’s pretty significant, because the reality is Royal Hobart Hospital and LGH are always nearly at full capacity when it comes to mental health beds,” he said.
Moore said moving patients away from the north-west would make it harder for families to visit.
He also criticised the lack of information being shared with staff and the public, with the Department of Health unable to provide any information on the impact from the fire despite repeated requests by media.
“To not be letting the public know and even the staff is unacceptable. It’s a public hospital,” he said.
“I don’t see what they’ve got to hide.”
Moore the state government’s planned replacement Spencer Clinic had been due to be finished around this week, but work had not started.
“We still don’t know how quickly it is until they’ll have a new clinic, but we know that it’s not going to be days or months,” he said.
In a statement released late tonight, a Department of Health spokesperson said the fire has “primarily impacted the inpatient mental health unit, the Spencer Clinic”.
“Other adjacent areas will need to be assessed once the site is handed back by the fire service,” they said.
“All patients and staff have been confirmed safe. No injuries have been reported.”
“Established incident management arrangements have been activated and a whole-of-health-system response is being coordinated to ensure continuing care for patients and to minimise impacts on healthcare services.”
“Some patients are being transferred to other facilities where required, with health system partners working to ensure the necessary capacity is available.”
“Senior health staff are on site to support the response and support staff. The situation will continue to be closely monitored as emergency response and assessment activities continue.”
