• BTEC Professional Award in Access to Operating Theatres

The objective is to ensure that any Product Specialist visiting the operating department has a comprehensive understanding of operating theatre procedures, practices and safety associated with caring for the patients in a theatre environment.

The Theatre Skills Award provides a structured programme which teaches and examines the practical, legal and clinical aspects of entering an operating department.

Programmes are delivered by an experienced team of theatre managers, nurses, surgeons, anaesthetists, industry professionals and other key specialists. Successful completion of the programme confirms that industry representatives know how to interact with clinicians, theatre staff and managers in this specialist environment.

A Register of all personnel who successfully complete the course is maintained. Each successful candidate receives an identification card to confirm that they have been trained to the high standards agreed with NATN.

• What is it?

This professional training standard supports compliance by providing evidence of competence in the following key elements thus ensuring patient/staff safety.

• Informed consent
• Patient confidentiality
• Track, trace and audit
• Infection Control Policies
• Vicarious Liability
• Hospital Regulations
• COSHH
• Radiation safety
• Laser safety
• RIDDOR
• Manual Handling
• Health & Safety at Work

The level of validation is Professional and set to demand reflective practice, analysis and application of knowledge in the specialist clinical environment. The BTEC Professional Theatre Access training standard provides Theatre Managers with demonstrable evidence of the competence and legal compliance of non clinical staff who have access to hospital areas where clinical care is delivered.

• Key Points

Several of the large medical device companies (DePuy, Johnson & Johnson, Keymed, 3M, AMO , Huntleigh Healthcare, Baxter etc) have adopted this standard and ensure their representatives qualify in the BTEC Professional Award in Access to the Operating Theatre. Their representatives, can now show hospital managers their externally validated evidence of competence to demonstrate, teach, support and promote their products, safely, in areas of clinical care. The production of National Standards and good practice emphasises the requirement for those working in industry to be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills by attending a recognisable accredited programme.