Operating Department Practice

Operating department practice is a specialist healthcare profession focused on the safe delivery of care to patients undergoing surgery and other invasive procedures. Operating department practitioners, known as ODPs, work as integral members of the surgical team across three phases of perioperative care: the anaesthetic phase, where patients are prepared for and given anaesthesia; the surgical phase, where the ODP supports the operating surgeon and manages instruments, equipment and the sterile field; and the recovery phase, where patients are monitored and supported as they regain consciousness. The role combines advanced technical skill with the capacity for calm, precise action under pressure and genuine care for patients at some of their most vulnerable moments.

At the University of Leicester, this three-year full-time degree prepares you to become a registered ODP, covering all aspects of the role in both academic and clinical settings. You will study anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, anaesthetic and surgical techniques, infection prevention, patient safety, professional practice and the ethical and legal frameworks that govern healthcare. Placements in operating theatres and perioperative environments are an essential and substantial part of the programme, giving you the supervised clinical experience that registration as an ODP requires.

You will work alongside experienced practitioners in real surgical settings, developing the technical competence and professional judgement that classroom learning alone cannot provide.

ODPs are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council and work as valued clinical professionals within surgical teams in NHS hospitals, independent hospitals and other clinical settings.

Graduates register as ODPs and enter practice in roles covering anaesthesia, scrub and recovery. Career development routes include specialisation in areas such as cardiac surgery, paediatric surgery, trauma or advanced practice. Further study at postgraduate level or in complementary areas such as critical care is also possible for those seeking to expand their scope of practice.