Galway Bay fm newsroom - Galway GPs are calling for more funding for nurses to support over-capacity general practices.
They are joining with colleagues across the country to ask the government for more support for GPs in their pre-budget submission.
According to the National Association of General Practitioners money budgeted for 900 community nurses would be better spent staffing general practices.
Chairman of NAGP Dr. Andrew Jordan says GPs have lost 38% of resources due to cuts and many positions are going unfilled when GPs retire.
The NAGP claims using community nurses who do not work in conjunction with local practices will lead to a fragmentation of healthcare.
Dr. Jordan says many patients on hospital waiting lists could be better treated by their local GP if more staff were available.