Rikshospitalet is a part of Southern and Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority, and is affiliated with the University of Oslo.

About 60% of the patients admitted to Rikshospitalet are referred from other hospitals in Norway for more specialized investigations and treatment.

In Norway, Rikshospitalet plays an important part with expert knowledge of the treatment of rare and complicated disorders.

Rikshospitalet covers the whole country in various fields, including organ and bone marrow transplants, advanced neurosurgery, and treatment of children with congenital malformations.

Later (in October 2007) the notation was changed to "Rikshospitalet HF" (Rikshospitalet University Hospital HF) and that name now covers what used to be 12 different governmental hospitals (Rikshospitalet, Radiumhospitalet, Geilomo, Strålesatelitt ved Sykehuset Innlandet, Hjertesenteret i Oslo, Epilepsisenteret SSE, Spesialsykehuset for rehabilitering i Stavern, Voksentoppen, Spesialsykehuset for rehabilitering i Kristiansand, Nordagutu opptreningssenter og kvinneklinikken Føderiket), each with their own specialities and now under the same "branding".