Fermanagh, Omagh and Strabane District Councils have vowed to join forces with The Western Health and Social Services Council in the fight against cuts to services to young people, the elderly and other vulnerable groups.
The three district councils met with the health watchdog at Kelly's Inn, Garvaghy on Thursday evening and there was unanimity as to the need for resistance to cuts of £38 million which the Trust has been ordered to make by the Minister.
The cuts are proposed as part of the Trust's Comprehensive Spending Review.
Speaking after the meeting, Maggie Reilly, the Health Council's chief officer, said all four bodies were profoundly indignant at the plans. She said there was unanimity that the councils would not tolerate any such cuts and that all are resolved to prevent such plans coming to fruition.
Ms Reilly said that there was widespread disappointment at what the Trust is calling 'engagement' and she suggested that the consultation questionnaire was only really concerned with the section 75 implications regarding discrimination.
One member of the Health Council asked, "How many at management level of the Trust have had their posts cut? She suggested that the groups most likely to take a hit were children with special needs and the elderly.
Another member, Joe Campbell said that the Trust had treated council members with disdain were not giving people truthful or satisfactory answers to questions they had posed as to the cuts. "I think this is going to cause the Trust a a lot of bother... If everyone was told the truth we'd have no problem. I can't understand why a government body won't tell the truth."
Ms Reilly said that the Trust had failed to keep faith with its own community.
The Health Council is now seeking further support from all 26 Northern Ireland councils and is lobbying them to join with Omagh, Strabane, and Fermanagh in opposing the cuts.
A spokesperson for the Western Health and Social Care Trust (Western Trust)
commented: "The Trust was surprised to hear the comments from the Western Health and Social Services Council. The Trust has always treated the Council with respect and it does not understand where this comment has come from.
"The Western Trust is involved in a very extensive engagement process to explain its Comprehensive Spending Review proposals and involvement with the Western Health and Social Services Council is an important part of that engagement.
"While the Trust understands that some of the proposals are controversial the Trust is at the very start of a process which is due to complete on 6 March 2009.
"With regard to the assertion that staff in residential homes have been put on notice this is untrue," the spokesperson continued.
"In relation to savings on management expenditure the Western Trust is required to achieve savings from management and administrative functions. In 2007/08, £2.8million was successfully saved from expenditure on management and a further £2.9million is planned from administrative functions during 2008/09 and 2009/10."
