Hospice and palliative care in the Czech Republic has been signifi cantly practice-oriented from the very beginning. Gradually, the professional specialisation of physicians and the professional education of general nurses was added.
The growing awareness and interest of the professional and lay public, including political representation, brings the need to embed palliative care in the system of individual branches of social policy as a fully-fl edged part of this system. The aim here of comparing strategic documents and processes in the fi eld of palliative care in the Czech Republic and Ireland through an overview study is to contribute to the 'lessons drawing' for shaping the further development of palliative care in the Czech Republic.