Health meetings paint black picture - Dallat

“Over the next few weeks and months there will be frantic efforts to cobble together a Modernisation and Recovery Plan which will send shockwaves through the services of the Northern Health Trust,” said Mr Dallat.

“The Board describes this agenda as ‘challenging’ but the fear of the trade unions and many others is that decisions arrived at will cause widespread damage to the health service and impact very badly on staff who are the backbone of many of the services provided. I agree with them.

“The Trust, which is already running a large deficit, has been hit by a further reduction of 27 million in its annual budget for this year with further swingeing cuts to come as announced in the Assembly recently by the Finance Minister Sammy Wilson.

“It will have a particularly nasty impact on many of the 14,000 staff who day and daily provide essential services to those who need them.”

“All public representatives must collectively oppose these cuts and demand from government the resources which are needed to care for an ageing population in circumstances which are far from good.”