Program Overview

Operating Department Practitioner Apprenticeship

The Operating Department Practitioner Apprenticeship is designed for individuals employed in a healthcare setting who aspire to become registered Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs). This apprenticeship is ideal for apprentices new to the perioperative environment, support workers or assistant practitioners looking to progress their career, and trust-employed staff sponsored through the ODP apprenticeship pathway.

Course Details

• Academic teaching is delivered across three semesters each year, with significant clinical placement periods integrated throughout the programme at the University of Bedfordshire.
• The course follows a block delivery pattern where apprentices spend six weeks in university followed by a period in clinical placement.
• Applications must be submitted at least two months before the programme start date.

Duration and Intakes

• Intakes are in September at the Luton campus.
• The duration of the apprenticeship is expected to be three years for most apprentices.

About the Course

This Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) apprenticeship course equips learners with the professional knowledge, clinical skills, and behaviours required for safe and effective practice across all areas of the perioperative environment. The course is mapped to national apprenticeship standards and HCPC regulatory requirements, combining academic study with work-based learning.

Qualifications

On successful completion of the course, graduates will achieve a BSc (Hons) in Operating Department Practice and a Level 6 Apprenticeship. They will be eligible to apply to register with the Health and Care Professions Council as an Operating Department Practitioner.

Units of Study

Year 1 Units

• Fundamentals of Perioperative Practice 30 credits
• Professional Identities for Operating Department Practitioners 30 credits
• Sciences for Perioperative Practice 30 credits
• Inclusivity and Diversity in Care 15 credits
• Academic Skills 15 credits

Year 2 Units

• Evidence-Based Practice 15 credits
• Advancing Perioperative Practice 30 credits
• Change Management and Innovative Practice 30 credits
• Pharmacology and Pathophysiology 30 credits
• Mental Health Matters 15 credits

Year 3 Units

• Supervision and Leadership for Perioperative Practice 30 credits
• Emerging Care Roles for Operating Department Practitioners 30 credits
• ODP Project 30 credits
• Medicines Management and Pharmacology 30 credits

Entry Requirements

• A minimum of three GCSEs (or equivalent including functional skills) at Grade 4 or above (formerly C) - to include English Language and Mathematics.
• Completion of the Care Certificate Standards.
• Either relevant level 3 qualification[s] equivalent to a minimum of 112 UCAS points or a portfolio of experiential evidence assessed by the teaching team and accepted through RPL process.

Fees

Companies with a wage bill less than Ł3m will pay Ł1,300 over three years, as the government funds 95% of the full fee. For levy-payers, this apprenticeship will cost Ł26,000 from their levy. Businesses of any size can also use the Manage apprenticeship service to apply for funding from large businesses that want to fund 100% of apprenticeship training and assessment costs.