Operating department practitioner
Level 6 · DegreeHealth and science 4 yr typical
About this apprenticeship
What it involves
Operating department practitioners (ODPs) are registered allied health professionals who provide clinical care in anaesthesia, surgical, and post-anaesthetic recovery settings in hospitals and surgical centres. This Level 6 integrated degree apprenticeship leads to HCPC registration as an ODP alongside a BSc. Graduates are expert perioperative clinicians and can specialise in cardiac surgery, trauma, or critical care.
On the job
What you’ll learn
Anaesthetic science, pharmacology, and airway management
Surgical techniques, instrumentation, and scrub practice
Post-anaesthetic care and patient monitoring
Infection prevention and aseptic technique in theatres
HCPC professional standards and patient safety
Perioperative patient assessment and care planning
On the job
What you’ll do day to day
Prepare anaesthetic and theatre equipment for each patient list
Assist anaesthetists with induction, airway, and monitoring
Scrub and assist surgeons with instruments during operations
Monitor patients recovering from anaesthesia in recovery
Check patient identity, consent, and allergy status at each stage
Maintain accurate perioperative records and escalate concerns
The deal
How this apprenticeship works
You earn a wage from day one. You are a paid employee, not a student. There are no tuition fees - the training is funded by your employer and the government.
About 20% is “off-the-job” training. Roughly a day a week is spent learning away from your normal duties - at a college, training provider, or online - working towards a recognised qualification.
It ends with an end-point assessment (EPA). Near the end, an independent assessor checks you can do the job to the national standard - through tests, a project, a portfolio or an interview. Pass it and you are fully qualified.
How to get there
What you need to start
Level 6 (Degree) - roughly Bachelor’s-degree level. Usually needs A-levels or a Level 3 qualification (employers set UCAS-point targets). You earn a full degree while you work - with no tuition fees to pay.
What’s next: Leads into professional roles, sometimes with a Level 7 (Master’s) apprenticeship after.
Entry requirements are set by each employer and can vary - always check the specific vacancy.
Hear from employers
What it’s really like
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