Project - ODP SURGE Website Development

This website has been developed as part of a national ODP Workforce Reform Project, led by Canterbury Christ Church University and delivered in partnership with the College of Operating Department Practitioners and funded by NHS England from April 2025-August 2026.

The project entitled ODP Support for Upskilling, Retention, Growth and Education (SURGE) had the following aims

  1. Reframe ODP identity as autonomous professionals combining technical expertise and emotional support in critical patient interactions.
  2. Revitalize pathways into and through pre-qualifying education to ensure diverse learners have a sense of belonging and thrive.
  3. Reenergise existing workforce by signposting and enable greater career development opportunities for current ODPs.

There were a number for workstream activities to address the aims for different stakeholders (aspiring to study ODP, ODP learners, qualified ODPs, educators and leaders in ODP

ODP workforce reform project 2025 26 CCCU visual graph

Through these workstreams we have reviewed existing resources to update and/or create new resources.

This has been used as a basis for developing the website to ensure there is clear, accessible information on the many routes into and through a career as an Operating Department Practitioner. These steps include first exploring the profession, through to pre-registration education and qualified practice ongoing development across clinical, leadership, education and research practice.

ODP SURGE Project team

Our project team included researchers, academics from a number of organisations, practitioners, CODP exec members that were ODPs and interprofessional.

  • Luke Ewart

    Luke Ewart - Principal Investigator

    Principal lecturer in Operating Department Practice

    Canterbury Christ Church University

  • John Hammond

    John Hammond - Principal Investigator

    Professor of Interprofessional Practice 

    Canterbury Christ Church University

  • Brighton Karimakwenda

    Brighton Karimakwenda - Project Fellow (Lead Workstreams 1, 5)

    Operating Department Practitioner

    Canterbury Christ Church University

  • Christina Doyle

    Christina Doyle - Project Fellow (Lead Workstreams 3, 4)

    Operating Department Practitioner - James Paget University Hospital NHS Trust

    Canterbury Christ Church University

  • Tom Shand

    Tom Shand - Project Fellow (Lead Workstreams 2, 6)

    Clinical Skills Lecturer ODP

    University of East Anglia

  • Kris Birney

    Kris Birney - Co-investigator

    Senior Lecturer in Health Science and Surgical Care

    Operating Department Practitioner

    Canterbury Christ Church University

  • Alan Mount

    Alan Mount - Co-investigator 

    Professional Lead for Operating Department Practice
    Canterbury Christ Church University

    Chair of the Education and Standards Committee
    College of Operating Department Practitioners

  • Adele Nightingale

    Adele Nightingale - Co-investigator

    Associate Professor Heath Professions Education
    Operating Department Practitioner

    Leeds Institute of Medical Education, School of Medicine, University of Leeds

  • Helenor Rogers

    Helenor Rogers - Co-investigator

    Expert by Experience Lead
    Background in Marketing and Communications

    Canterbury Christ Church University

  • Danni James

    Danni James - Co-investigator

    Senior Lecturer Operating Department Practitice

    Canterbury Christ Church University

  • Chris Burton

    Chris Burton - Co-investigator

     Dean and Professor of Health Sciences

    University of East Anglia