The Department of Forensic Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové and University Hospital Hradec Králové, provides forensic service in the Hradec Králové Region. The department carries out autopsies in the case of sudden and violent deaths occurring outside of healthcare facilities, more elaborate autopsies for deaths within healthcare facilities if hospitalization was due to external causes (e.g. accidents at work, traffic accidents, second-person injuries, intoxication, etc.), autopsies in the case of suspicion of medical malpractice, and autopsies for deaths occurring in penal custody or as a result of capital punishment (see Act No. 372/2011 On Health Services of the Ministry of Health). In the form of clinical-pathological workshops, the department provides information to doctors, especially in the fields of surgery, traumatology, neurosurgery, anesthesiology and resuscitation, obstetrics, pediatrics, and ambulance services.
The department provides extensive expertise to the Czech police and other authorities active in criminal proceedings, i.e. public prosecutors and courts. In particular, these include juridical autopsies (within the framework of Act No. 141/1961 Coll. On Criminal Proceedings) ordered by law enforcement authorities in the cases where there is a suspicion of death caused by a criminal offense (such as murders, accidents at work, car accidents and other health-related injuries resulting in death, unclear circumstances of death, etc.) and the provision of forensic doctors at a crime scene. In the form of expert opinions, the workplace provides authorities active in the criminal proceedings with background information concerning the criminal law qualification of the health detriments of persons who have suffered injuries in connection with a crime. At the request of the Czech police, the workplace also provides up-to-date information on hospitalized patients and other such individuals.
In addition to the clinical and expert work, the department provides undergraduate teaching in the subject of forensic medicine for the 5th year General Medicine and Dentistry students at the Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové (including the program for international students). It also organizes postgraduate studies and lifelong training in forensic medicine. An integral part of the activities within the department is scientific research and publication activities, which the doctors of the department develop in cooperation with a wide range of preliminary and applied research workplaces in the CR and abroad.
