Operating Department Practice

Operating department practice is the allied health profession responsible for the care of surgical patients during the three distinct phases of an operation: the anaesthetic phase, the surgical or intraoperative phase, and the recovery phase. Operating department practitioners work directly alongside surgeons, anaesthetists, and theatre nurses, providing skilled technical and patient-care support that is essential to safe surgical outcomes. At Edge Hill University, the BSc Operating Department Practice is a three-year full-time programme that trains you to provide high standards of care across all three phases and, on graduation, makes you eligible to register as an Operating Department Practitioner with the Health and Care Professions Council.

The programme combines academic study of the scientific and clinical knowledge relevant to surgical care with extensive supervised practice in real operating theatre environments. You will develop your understanding of anatomy and physiology as they relate to surgical practice, pharmacology as applied to anaesthesia and perioperative care, infection prevention and control, patient safety and safeguarding, and the professional and ethical responsibilities of the ODP role. Anaesthetic practice, scrub technique, and recovery care are all developed through a combination of simulation-based training and clinical placement, with a significant proportion of the programme spent in practice settings where you develop the professional competence and judgment that the role requires.

The programme is regulated and leads directly to eligibility for professional registration.

Operating department practitioners work in NHS theatres and in private surgical facilities across the full range of surgical specialties, including general surgery, orthopaedics, neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, paediatric surgery, and obstetric care. The profession offers strong employment prospects, consistent demand for trained practitioners, and a clearly structured career pathway. Some graduates go on to postgraduate study in specific surgical specialties, anaesthetic nursing, or advanced practice, while others progress into theatre management and team leadership roles.

Edge Hill's programme provides a thorough clinical and academic preparation for a profession that is central to the delivery of safe and effective surgical care.