Operating Department Practitioners

Operating Department Practitioners

Operating department practitioners (ODPs) are a type of health care provider involved with the overall planning and delivery of a patient's perioperative care. They are known as the managers to a safe and secure operation. They are mainly employed in surgical operating departments but can be found in other clinical areas including Accident & Emergency (A&E), Intensive Care Units (ICU), and Ambulance Service. The title of "Operating Department Practitioner" is a protected title in the United Kingdom and the profession has been regulated since 2004 by the UK's Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC). ODPs work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team that includes doctors, nurses and support workers.

In the United Kingdom, the professional body of the ODPs is the College of Operating Department Practitioners (CODP), previously known as the Association of Operating Department Practitioners (AODP).

The Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP), formerly the National Association of Theatre Nurses, is an organisation that offers membership and services to any person whether a Doctor, Nurse, ODP or Health Care Assistant (HCA).

ODPs provide care and support for patients undergoing surgery during the three main perioperative stages:

• Anaesthetic stage
• Surgical stage
• Recovery stage