Two of Prague’s most important hospitals are set to merge. From 2026, Motol University Hospital and Na Homolce Hospital will form a single entity, bringing improvements in both research and healthcare.
The merger will take effect on 1 January 2026, following a decision by Health Minister Vlastimil Válek after consultations with the management of both hospitals and the Second Faculty of Medicine at Charles University.
The goal is to create synergies in medical services, research, staffing, and administration. The new institution is intended to match major university centres abroad and to strengthen the Czech healthcare system’s position within the EU. It will operate under the name Fakultní nemocnice v Motole a Na Homolce.
As early as April, Válek appointed the former director of Na Homolce, Petr Polouček, as head of Motol University Hospital. Polouček is now tasked with preparing a detailed merger plan by the end of September. “The advantages of this merger clearly outweigh the drawbacks. That is why I have decided to take this step,” said the minister.
For patients and staff, day-to-day operations will initially remain largely unchanged. Both sites will retain their structures and identity, and medical programmes will continue without interruption. “Our aim is to combine the strengths of both institutions, increase stability, and open up new opportunities for development,” explained Polouček.
The Second Faculty of Medicine at Charles University, for which Motol already serves as a teaching hospital, has also welcomed the decision. Dean Marek Babjuk described it as an important step towards European standards: “It opens new prospects for teaching, research, and clinical cooperation – to the benefit of students, staff, and above all, patients.”
