Led by a Chairperson and a Board of Directors which is elected by the members, the Association is the Collective and Expert Voice for Palliative Care in Ireland; a voice grounded in knowledge and understanding of the palliative care environment which flows from its strong practitioner and multidisciplinary membership. Since its foundation, the IAPC has played a vital role in shaping the provision of palliative care in Ireland and today it continues to drive for national policy based on patient-centred, equitable and accessible palliative care for all who need it.

The IAPC is also A Learning Network, to those wishing to continuously develop and strengthen their knowledge and capability in their area of expertise. IAPC is a vibrant learning network dedicated to building the capacity of members to deliver a higher level of care through enhancing knowledge and furthering professional expertise.

The Association is organized around a number of Working Groups designed to create forums for shared best practice and learning opportunities, and for members to further their professional development, education and research.

The Association pursues its objectives through providing structured opportunities for networking, sharing and learning, educational offerings, promoting evidence-based research, publications, representation on national bodies and influencing the development of national policy. Internationally it is strongly aligned with the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC).

The IAPC Working Groups inform the strategic direction and policy decisions of the Board, thereby creating a strong foundation for the IAPC’s position as the primary collective voice for palliative care in Ireland.

Current IAPC Working Groups are as follows:

IAPC Education and Research Forum https://iapc1.wpengine.com/education-and-research-forum/

IAPC Palliative Nursing Forum https://iapc1.wpengine.com/iapc-palliative-nursing-forum/

IAPC Children’s Palliative Care Special Interest Group https://iapc1.wpengine.com/iapc-childrens-palliative-care-subgroup/

IAPC Ethics Group https://iapc1.wpengine.com/iapc-ethics-group/

IAPC Psychology Group https://iapc1.wpengine.com/iapc-palliative-care-psychology-group/

IAPC Palliative Care Pharmacy Group https://iapc1.wpengine.com/iapc-palliative-care-pharmacy-group/

IAPC Older Person Care Special Interest Group https://iapc1.wpengine.com/iapc-older-person-care-special-interest-group/

IAPC Primary Palliative Care Special Interest Group https://iapc1.wpengine.com/iapc-primary-palliative-care-special-interest-group/

IAPC Spirituality in Palliative Care Special Interest Group https://iapc1.wpengine.com/iapc-spirituality-in-palliative-care-special-interest-group/

The IAPC seeks to meet its goals through programmes / activities as follows:

Education, Research & Professional Development:–

Annual National Conference;

Annual National Education & Research Seminar; https://www.iapcseminar.com/

Professional development workshops;

Sharing & Learning events;

Development of web-based Knowledge Centre;

Development of public-awareness initiatives;

Development of original research.

Advocacy:– providing expert knowledge input to national bodies in the health sector re: adult and children’s palliative care; Influencing and shaping national health policy through advocacy and communications.

The IAPC Council was established in 2010 to honour those who have made a long-standing commitment and contribution to the goals and development of the IAPC and to palliative care services in Ireland and elsewhere.