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Operating Department Practice at University of Portsmouth - UCAS

Course options

2025 - 2026
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This course is not accepting applications for deferred entry.

University of Portsmouth has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

Open days

7Dec
University of Portsmouth Open Day
Undergraduate

Course summary

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
  • Learn on a course with 100% overall student satisfaction (NSS, 2021)
  • 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

Modules

Year 1 Core modules in this year include:

  • Foundation of Evidence Based Practice (20 credits)
  • Foundations of Odp Professional Practice (40 credits)
  • Fundamentals of Perioperative Practice (20 credits)
  • Science Informing Practice (40 credits)
There are no optional modules in this year. Year 2 Core modules in this year include:
  • Applied Odp Professional Practice (40 credits)
  • Engaging with Service Improvement (20 credits)
  • Evidence Based Decision Making (20 credits)
  • Perioperative Care of Specialist Patient Groups (20 credits)
  • Perioperative Use of Drugs (20 credits)
There are no optional modules in this year. Year 3 Core modules in this year include:
  • Complex Perioperative Care (20 credits)
  • Enhancing Odp Professional Practice (40 credits)
  • Leading Safe and Effective Care (20 credits)
  • Project (40 credits)
There are no optional modules in this year. We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies. Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

Assessment method

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.

How to apply

29Jan

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
B700
Institution code:
P80
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3

Entry requirements for advanced entry (i.e. into Year 2 and beyond)

We welcome applications for advanced entry. If you’d like to apply for advanced entry, you need to select the required year when you complete your UCAS application.

International applicants

This course is available to UK applicants only.

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

Additional entry requirements

Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland)

Applicants must pass Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before starting the course.

Health checks

Applicants must pass Occupational Health check before starting the course. The Department of Health requires all new Exposure Prone Procedures (EPP) workers, including students, are tested for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. The consent, test and managed process of results will be carried out by our Occupational Health Department.

Interview

All shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an interview in support of their application, including NHS values based recruitment. If successful, applicants will be required to declare if they have been subject to any disciplinary procedures of fitness to practice by any other regulator, professional body, employer or educational establishment.

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)7English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 7.0 with no component score below 6.5.
PTE Academic76An overall score of 76 with a minimum of 65 in each skill.
TOEFL (iBT)100100 with a minimum of 24 in Reading, 23 in Listening, 25 in Speaking and 24 in Writing.
Cambridge English AdvancedCambridge English: Advanced (CAE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 185 with no component score less than 176.
Cambridge English ProficiencyCambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 185 with no component score less than 176.
Trinity ISETrinity College Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III with a Pass in all 4 components.

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
70%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
90%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Channel Islands £9535 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9535 Year 1
England £9535 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9535 Year 1
Scotland £9535 Year 1
Wales £9535 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Fees are accurate at the time of publishing and are subject to change at any time without notice. Fees are subject to annual increase. For more information about fees, go to: https://www.port.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduate-fees-and-student-finance/tuition-fees-living-costs-and-other-study-costs
Operating Department Practice at University of Portsmouth - UCAS