Operating Department Practice

Operating department practice is a distinct registered healthcare profession focused on the care of patients undergoing surgical procedures across all three phases of the perioperative pathway. Operating department practitioners, or ODPs, work alongside surgeons, anaesthetists, and nurses in the operating department, providing specialist care during anaesthesia, intraoperative surgical support, and postoperative recovery. They are responsible for preparing equipment, assisting with anaesthetic induction and maintenance, supporting the sterile surgical team, and monitoring patient recovery in the post-anaesthesia care unit.

ODPs are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council and are an integral part of the surgical team.

At Gloucestershire this three-year full-time programme prepares you for this demanding and rewarding clinical role through a combination of academic study and supervised practice placements in real operating department environments. You will develop the clinical knowledge, practical skills, and professional values needed to deliver safe, high-quality care to surgical patients, working across anaesthesia, surgery, and post-anaesthesia recovery settings. The programme covers the science underpinning anaesthetic and surgical practice, including pharmacology, anatomy, physiology, and microbiology, alongside the clinical competencies and professional responsibilities of the ODP role.

Practice placements are a central component, giving you experience across different surgical specialities and developing the confidence and capability that qualified practice requires.

Graduation from a Health and Care Professions Council-approved programme leads directly to eligibility for registration as an ODP, enabling you to practise in NHS and independent sector operating departments. Most graduates work in NHS trusts across a range of surgical specialities, and career progression can lead to senior ODP roles, management positions within theatre services, or specialist practice in areas such as cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, or paediatrics. Some graduates also move into education and training roles, or continue to postgraduate study in perioperative care, anaesthesia practice, or healthcare management.