GPs are facing further cuts in the budgets available to run their patient services and this could lead to the closure of some practices, according to a GP representative body.

Dr Patrick Crowley of the National Association for General Practitioners (NAGP) said the fees GPs are paid for State services such as has the medical card scheme are due to be cut again shortly by Health Minister James Reilly.

"The implementation of this cut will be the fourth such cut since 2010 and is part of measures which will see an overall reduction of €70 million to GPs, pharmacists and other primary care professionals this year alone."

Dr Crowley said removing the ability of GPs to provide the level of care Irish patients have come to expect appeared totally at odds with the Minister's policy of pushing more services into the community.

"In the NAGP we are gravely concerned about the impact these cuts will have on patient care. We anticipate that up to 8% of GP practices could close in the face of these cuts and will inevitably mean that patients will face waiting lists, have to travel for GP care and that out of hours and emergency services will be affected."

The NAGP claims the quality of front-line patient care, the availability of community-based GP services and the overall role of GPs in Ireland is being severely compromised, putting patients at risk.

The doctors' union, the IMO, warned last week that GPs will not be able to provide follow-up care for women with medical cards who have undergone treatment for breast cancer without proper resourcing under a new plan from the HSE.

The IMO said unless this HSE plan was resourced properly, these patients may have to pay the cost of their GP cancer care, which it said was unacceptable.