RAH was founded in 1840 and is part of the Central Northern Adelaide Health Service. RAH consists of three campuses - North Terrace, Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre and St Margarets, and associated outreach services.

RAH provides a specific range of tertiary referral services to the people of South Australia and the nearby states and territories, and a broad range of clinical services to people who rely on RAH as their regional or local hospital.

It is also involved in various areas of medical and health research, often in conjunction with the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science (IMVS) and the University of Adelaide, for which it is a major teaching hospital and is closely affiliated with the Hanson Institute. In addition, a wide range of general as well as specialised clinical rotations are available.