The Allied Health workforce is broad and diverse and includes health practitioners who work autonomously and in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teams. 

In the UK, the Allied Health sector is set to grow into the future due to advances in technology and increasing demand for healthcare services, including holistic healthcare approaches. The sector encompasses many professional pathways and opportunities for career development and specialisation. See our list of job roles for more information on various Allied Health professions

Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) work in multi-disciplinary teams in the perioperative environment - in hospitals and private clinics, and across emergency and elective surgery. Their role is similar to that of Theatre Nurse, but they come from a health science background. Like Theatre Nurses, they assist with all stages of peri-operative patient care, including the anaesthetic, surgery and recovery phase. They set up and maintain important equipment and resources, inform and support patients, fill out documentation and keep records. They prepare the operating theatre, monitor patients, decontaminate and sterilise equipment, and provide care for patients in recovery. To pursue a career in this field, pathways include undertaking a two-year diploma, apprenticeship, or three-year degree in operating department practice. Operating Department Practitioners need to register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).