00:0248 hours after the blaze, concerns are mounting about its long-term impact on the state's mental health system.
00:09It's a really dire situation. We're really concerned about what this is going to mean.
00:14The Spencer Clinic at the Northwest Regional Hospital catered for 19 patients,
00:19but the mental health unit is now out of action for the foreseeable future.
00:24The Spencer Unit remains significantly damaged and currently being assessed for insurance purposes.
00:33One of the tragic situations here is that the state of mental health was already at crisis point.
00:41All 19 affected patients were relocated on the night, including two to the Launceston General Hospital,
00:48five to the Northwest Private and the remainder to other parts of the Northwest Regional.
00:53But questions remain about the system's capacity to cope going forward.
00:58The government has to direct resources that they weren't expecting to spend
01:03into supporting people in mental health distress in the Northwest. They have to do that.
01:09The Health Department insists the system is not in crisis, saying more mental health beds have been made available
01:16by shifting some lower needs patients into community care.
01:20We're managing in a way that keeps our patients' safety at the forefront of what we're doing.
01:26The 28-year-old woman charged over the fire has faced the Devonport Magistrates Court.
01:31She's been remanded in custody until her next court appearance in the Burnie Magistrates Court next month.
01:37We have a good day.
01:38Bye.
01:38Bye.
01:40Bye.
01:43Bye.
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