Operating Department Practice
Operating department practice is the healthcare profession dedicated to providing specialist care to patients undergoing surgical and anaesthetic procedures in hospital operating departments. Operating department practitioners (ODPs) work as members of the surgical team in three main areas: anaesthesia, where they assist the anaesthetist in preparing and administering anaesthetic agents; surgery, where they assist the surgeon as a scrub practitioner handling instruments and maintaining a sterile field; and recovery, where they monitor patients as they emerge from anaesthesia. The role requires technical precision, calm under pressure, the ability to work as part of a highly coordinated team, and genuine care for patients in a vulnerable state.
At the University of Hull, this three-year full-time degree is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council and splits your time between academic study in the university's Allam Medical Building and clinical placements in real operating theatre environments. The placements are central to the degree, giving you hands-on experience across all three areas of ODP practice and ensuring that you graduate with both the theoretical knowledge and the practical clinical competence needed for professional registration. Hull's award-winning clinical training facilities provide a high-quality environment for developing your professional skills.
Operating department practitioners register with the HCPC and work in NHS hospitals, private surgical hospitals, and day surgery units. The profession has consistently strong employment demand, reflecting the essential role ODPs play in every surgical case that takes place in the UK. With experience and further training, ODPs progress into specialist roles, team leadership, and management, and into education and research within their field.
The degree also provides a foundation for further study in perioperative practice, healthcare education, or advanced clinical practice. The typical entry tariff is 120 points.