Operating Department Practice

Overview
Are you enthusiastic, great with people and keen to make a living improving and saving lives?

Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) are an essential part of the surgical team. They take care of patients, prepare the operating theatre and surgical equipment, and act as a vital link between the surgical team, other hospital departments and patients.

Our BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice degree course, which we've developed with local NHS Trusts and the private sector, provides you with the skills and knowledge you need to work in this demanding and rewarding role.

• Practise examinations and procedures on human patient simulators in our Centre for Simulation in Health and Care, one of the country’s leading healthcare teaching environments

• Spend more than 50% of your time gaining experience in real operating theatres and wards at our partner hospitals and NHS Trusts, with one-to-one mentorship from a registered healthcare practitioner

• 97% of students were positive about the support provided by teaching staff on this course (NSS, 2025)

• Become eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as an Operating Department Practitioner when you graduate

Approved by:
This course is approved by the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Careers and opportunities
The role of an Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) is to care for patients undergoing surgery in hospital, from preparing the operating theatre and anaesthetic, to ensuring the surgical team have the equipment they need during an operation and supporting patients as they recover.

ODPs are vital to the safe and effective running of an operating theatre, and many are need in both the NHS and private healthcare sector in the UK, now more than ever. As many operations were postponed due to the pandemic, there is high demand for Operating Department Practitioners to help patients get the surgery they need.

Once you complete this Operating Department Practice degree, you'll be eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), which you'll need to work as an ODP in the UK, in areas including anaesthesia, surgery and recovery.

With more training, you could become a surgical care practitioner able to carry out some surgical procedures, under supervision of a consultant surgeon.

What jobs can you do with an Operating Department Practice degree?
As a registered Operating Department Practitioner, you'll be able to progress and develop towards roles such as:

• surgical care practitioner

• advanced critical care practitioner

• team leader

• theatre manager

• sterile supply manager

• practice educator

• research fellow

Potential salary
As an Operating Department Practitioner in the NHS in 2021, you could expect a starting salary of £25,655 moving up to £31,534 (Band 5).

With more experience as a senior ODP or team leader, you could earn from £32,306 to £39,027 (Band 6).

Clinical placements
You'll need work experience in real hospital settings before you can become an Operating Department Practitioner, so on this course you'll spend more than half your time on clinical placements.

On each placement, you'll have one-to-one expert support and guidance from a personal mentor based at that hospital or NHS Trust. As a registered healthcare practitioner, your mentor will be there to advise you throughout and oversee your placement experience.

Each year of your course includes one work placement module in a clinical setting. Placement locations are liable to change, but recent students have completed placements at:

• Portsmouth NHS Trust QA Hospital

• Southampton General Hospital

• BMI Healthcare, Winchester

• St Richard's Hospital, Chichester

• RSC Hospital Brighton

• Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath

The University of Portsmouth is passionate about creating career-focused modules that do more than support your studies, they empower your academic journey and prepare you for what comes next.
 
We design modules that have:
 
• Clear themes and skills development as you progress through each year
• Assessments that feel meaningful, often based on real-world tasks rather than isolated exams
• Career-enhancing opportunities such as placements, live projects, enterprise and volunteering
 
For a full list of the modules you will study on this course, please visit the link to the course page.

https://www.port.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduate/bsc-hons-operating-department-practice#modules

You'll be assessed through tests (academic or practical/skills based), performance-based clinical practice assessments, online assessment, academic written work/portfolios, objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), presentations, project.
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.