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Surgical First Assistance in Surgical Procedures 2

2025-26

Start date

22 September 2025

Duration

12 months part-time

Credits: 30 Masters level credits

Code: HMO4002

About the course

This course aims to provide qualified registered Operating Department Practitioners and Nurses, who have a minimum of 6 months scrub experience, with an opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills required to act, or progress into, a Surgical First Assistant (SFA) role.

  • You will develop skills under the direct supervision of a surgeon, and whilst not able to undertake tasks considered to be surgical interventions, can with the appropriate training and knowledge undertake many other tasks such as skin preparation, manipulation of organs and tissue retraction.
  • During your studies you will explore topics relevant to the SFA role including legal aspects, anatomy, physiology, infection control, minimal access surgery, electrosurgery, tissue retraction and haemostasis.
  • You will be taught by a team of academics and key speakers who have a wealth of skills, expertise and professional credibility related to the SFA role.
  • You will be taught in our simulation laboratories to enhance your theoretical knowledge and to practice techniques in a safe environment.

Teaching and assessment

The course is delivered over 12 months through a range of teaching methods including lectures, practical sessions, work-based learning and guided independent study. Assessment will involve a written assignment and completion of a portfolio.

Your module specification/course handbook will provide full details of the assessment criteria applying to your course.

Feedback (usually written) is normally provided on all coursework submissions within three term time weeks – unless the submission was made towards the end of the session in which case feedback would be available on request after the formal publication of results. Feedback on exam performance/final coursework is available on request after the publication of results.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for this course are normally:

  • You must be registered with either the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) or the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
  • You must have at least 6 months post registration experience in theatres
  • You must have a letter of support from your line manager and a letter of support from your Clinical Mentor, namely a Consultant.

Placements


As a trainee Surgical First Assistant, you will arrange your own placements, usually in your current place of work.

You will require employer support to enable you to complete 100 hours in clinical practice. You will also need a clinical mentor who will be responsible for signing off your clinical competence.

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

Important information

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by our terms and conditions, Handbook of Regulations and associated policies. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

Changes to a course you have applied for but are not yet enrolled on

If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment. We may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will discuss with you other suitable courses we can transfer your application to. If you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

Changes to option modules:

Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have an equivalent range of options to that advertised for the course. We will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

Major changes:

We will only make major changes to non-optional modules on a course if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that substantially changes the outcomes, or a significant part of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum. For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators or a commissioning or accrediting body. We may also make changes to improve the course in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback or to ensure you are being taught current best practice. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment, or pandemics.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but may happen sooner in an emergency. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed in accordance with the student protection plan.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.