The mayor of the northeast Newfoundland community of Lewisporte is promising to fight a plan by the province to cut health care services in his community.

X-rays and most laboratory work is being moved from Lewisporte to Grand Falls-Windsor and Gander, the Health Department announced Monday in a move that caught Mayor Bill Hooper off guard.

"We're not going to accept it because, I mean, I think we would be rather stupid to sit down and say 'Well, that's all we can do'. We're going to fight it, and see where we go with it," he said.

"Now they have to go to Gander or Grand Falls, which is going to put more pressure on those areas."

Twenty-five people get X-rays each day in Lewisporte, according to the Health Department. People will still be able to give blood at the laboratory, but the samples will be sent away for processing.

Health Minister Paul Oram says people shouldn't look at this as a reduction in service, saying instead that consolidation is the best way to improve the system.

"I have no idea if there's any money saving or not — I have no idea. This is more about delivering a quality service to the residents of the area, and that's what we want to do, and that's what I see as our No. 1 goal," he said.

Hooper will be meeting with town leaders Tuesday to figure out how to get the government to reverse its decision, but Oram says it's a done deal.

As well as changes in Lewisporte, X-ray services and most of the laboratory work in Flower's Cove on the Northern Peninsula will be sent to St. Anthony starting sometime this fall.

The Health Department hasn't set a date yet for the change.