In total approximately 10,000 people work at the UMCU including medical staff, nursing staff, residents, support personnel and researchers, making it one of the largest hospitals in the Netherlands.

The UMCU also features a Major Incident Hospital (Dutch: Calamiteitenhospitaal).

This facility is intended for treating groups of more than five military or civilian casualties in case of major catastrophes, war casualties or in case of particular contagious diseases (for example, repatriated wounded Dutch citizens after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami).

[1] On November 3, 2015, Dutch current affairs television program Zembla reported on a "culture of fear" in the ear, nose and throat department of the UMCU, that would have led to "avoidable" and "serious, deadly complications" endangering the safety of patients.

[2] One case was reported in which a patient's carotid artery was accidentally cut during a surgery.