Angry campaigners descended on the Civic Centre in Livingston this week to protest against proposals to close or privatise four council care homes and cut many other care services.
The angry scenes were in response to the news that West Lothian Integrated Joint Board is considering privatising four care homes for the elderly, outsourcing services at two homes for adults with a learning disability and outsourcing almost all care at home services.
Protesters confronted the Leader of West Lothian Council, Councillor Lawrence Fitzpatrick who had come out to try and calm the crowd.
Former MSP Neil Findlay said protestors were there to put pressure on West Lothian councillors who had to make their position known on whether they support the plans at Tuesday’s Executive meeting.
He said: "The families of care home residents and the staff who care for them needed answers - why they got was stitch up and shameful actions by West Lothian councillors with the honourable exception of Councillors Borrowman and Pattle - the rest said nothing as the motion to discuss care home closures was ruled out of order - what a sham.
"The fight goes on, families and the trade unions representing workers will not give up lightly."
Councillor Fitzpatrick handed out a Labour motion that was set to be discussed at Tuesday's meeting.
It said: "Council Executive welcomes the open public engagement on the Integration Joint Board proposals on Bed Based Community Health & Social Care in West Lothian.
Council Executive recognises the extremely serious budget difficulties faced by West Lothian Integration joint Board and the public expressions of concern on its proposals for Care Home Services but also Care at Home.
"Council Executive agrees that the exorbitant sums of consultancy fees for National Care Service proposals and the anticipated set up costs could be better spent fully meeting the current demands for care provision in our local communities and on improving a set of national standards to cover both public and private providers of care.
"Council Executive further agrees that the IJB's budget shortfall is a result of significant historic and ongoing underfunding by the Scottish Government.
"Council Executive therefore calls on the Scottish Government to abandon its Bill for a National Care Service and provide a sufficiency of funds on an ongoing basis for West Lothian Integration Joint Board.
" It also notes that matters have been exacerbated greatly by Scottish Government clawback of Covid 19 monies estimated at £10.612m which were desperately needed for this essential public service to the West Lothian community, and calls for these funds to be returned to WLIJB."
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