It is located in Burnie together with the North West Private Hospital, which is part of Ramsay Health Care.

[2] It replaced the original Burnie Hospital, which opened on 21 August 1951 at the site of the current Harvey Norman complex in Marine Terrace.

[4] Under the Tasmanian government's 2007 plan to reform its health system, the Mersey Hospital was to be downgraded with certain care services transferred to Burnie.

On 1 August 2007, the Australian Prime Minister announced that the Australian government would guarantee the continued funding of a wide range of in-patient and out-patient services at the Mersey campus, and support its re-establishment as Mersey Community Hospital, managed by a community-controlled and Commonwealth-funded trust.

[5] During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 two passengers from the cruise ship Ruby Princess were sent to the hospital in late March.