GPs in the catchment area of Tallaght Hospital in Dubllin have warned that they will not accept any further workload being transferred from the hospital to their practices.

They have protested that they are under far too much pressure to take on additional work which they feel should be carried out by Tallaght Hospital in the first place.

A number of local GPs have have now written to Tallaght Hospital Chairman, Michael Scanlan, protesting that they have been getting an increasing number of letters from consultants and junior doctors stating that they have ordered blood tests or other investigations on patients and giving instructions for GPs to follow-up on these tests.

GPs have told Tallaght Hospital they do not have time to accede to these requests from the hospital.

"We are under major pressure, functioning at full capacity and barely coping with the workload that we already have. We are not in a position to chase results ordered by hospital consultants, non-consultant doctors or other hospital personnel," the letter states.

The GPs have also warned the hospital that they cannot accept any clinical responsibility in relation to tests ordered by other doctors or other health professionals.' "The responsibility for further follow-up lies with the doctor or other health professional who ordered the test," the letter states.

The local doctors have requested that the Hospital Chairman inform the medical heads of each hospital department about the letter.

Clondalkin GP Dr Liam Lynch told irishhealth.com that there had been a steadily increasing transfer for some time of workload from the hospital onto GPs, and GPs were under too much pressure to cope with extra work of this nature.

He said GPs were getting letters from Tallaght Hospital instructing them to follow up with tests, when this was really the job of the hospital.

"Basically, they are asking us to act like junior doctors."