Rob Evans, who was instrumental in writing and launching the BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice degree at Wrexham University, is proud to be the newly-appointed Regional Lead for North Wales for the Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP).

Rob, a former Operating Department Practitioner (ODP), is committed to “making a difference” in his new AfPP role; to enhancing patient safety and improving perioperative care. He is looking forward to supporting perioperative practitioners across the North Wales region, and to spreading the word about the innovative work being done in his region. He says his focus will be on fostering collaboration, sharing best practices, and driving initiatives that contribute to safer surgery and better patient outcomes.

Rob, who lives in Wrexham and is Programme Leader on the BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice degree at Wrexham University, is a dedicated, passionate educator.

After studying for a Sports Science degree, Rob decided to change tack and train as an ODP. His first job working as an ODP was at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, from 2011 to 2017, covering anaesthetics, surgery, and recovery. He worked there for six years, holding a couple of Band 6 positions, and then moved to a Theatre Manager role at the Nuffield Hospital in Chester.

Rob has always been passionate about education and supporting the development of perioperative professionals. After years of firsthand experience in hospital settings, he made the transition into an educational role, where he could focus on training and mentoring the next generation of perioperative practitioners.

He joined the ODP training team at Birmingham City University as a lecturer, moving to Wrexham University a couple of years later in 2021, where he set up the BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice degree from scratch.

“I wrote the whole ODP degree programme from scratch, and got it approved and accredited, and in just a few months from now the first batch of ODP students will graduate which is such a fabulous feeling,” said Rob.

“I started mapping the degree course on a single piece of paper, and it’s now been going for three years and is going from strength to strength.

“I will definitely be holding back the tears when our first group of students graduates this summer, and goes on to practice in our hospitals, potentially looking after people we know and hold dear.”

Rob said he always had his heart set on a role in education but wanted to teach something he had total experience in and understanding of, and being an ODP was what he chose as it allowed him “to make a real difference to people’s lives”.

“Teaching others to be ODPs is the dream job for me, and I love the fact I get to work with students and equip them for becoming the best ODPs they can be.”

His ambition now is to make the Wrexham ODP degree course the best in the country, and to shout about the magnificent work being done in perioperative practice in North Wales.

“We are doing such great work in North Wales in areas such as prehabilitation (healthcare that helps patients prepare for medical or surgical procedures which can help reduce complications, side effects, and recovery time), robotics, and sustainability, and we want to share this with others,” said Rob.

He is thrilled to be the new AfPP Regional Lead for North Wales, and the opportunity it gives him to be part of the Association he has been an engaged member of since his student days.

Rob said: “As a student I received AfPP’s Journal of Perioperative Practice which was invaluable to me in keeping up with current and new perioperative practice, and the Association has been a big part of my career. I am now looking forward to telling other practitioners about AfPP and all the benefits, including free live webinars, discounted events, member-price publications, the EBSCOhost e-Book Library, networking opportunities, and much more.

“AfPP supports you to become the best practitioner you can be and leads on perioperative excellence.”

Outside work, Rob likes to keep active, and he’s often to be found supporting his seven-year-old son Toby playing football, with Rob’s other interests including paddle boarding, rock climbing and walking.

Picture shows Rob with his son Toby on Snowdon mountain in North Wales.