A description and comparison of palliative care services in the United Kingdom and Czech Republic.
National and international comparative studies on provision of palliative care are lacking and further research would be beneficial for the development of national policies and effective service frameworks in different countries. This literature review focuses on a comparison of the development, structure and provision of the palliative care services in the United Kingdom (UK) and the Czech Republic (CZ). The aim of the review is to find out if the systems used in each country could benefit the development of the services in the other. The historical development of palliative care services and frameworks and the current provision of palliative care services in the CZ and the UK will be described, analysed and compared. The challenges and constraints within the Czech and UK health-care systems preventing delivery of palliative care to all patients with palliative care needs will be identified. The aim is to provide the reader with a simple, but comprehensive picture of palliative care services within the UK and the CZ as they currently exist, offering a building block for possible future research.
Svecová
Katerina
K
Worcester Acute NHS Trust, Charles Hastings Way WR9 5JG. ksvecova@tiscali.co.uk
D018153:Czech Republic; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006113:United Kingdom