Skip navigation

Diversity data: operating department practitioners - March 2023

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) information held by the HCPC with regards to the nine protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010

This factsheet provides key EDI information for operating department practitioners and how the demographics of this group compare to the demographics of HCPC registrants overall.

Demography: 
For age and sex: all current registrants. 

For other protected characteristics: all current registrants who have submitted EDI data via the EDI portal or survey:

  • 94% of operating department practitioners
  • 56% of all professions combined

Period:
As at 28 March 2023.

Diversity data factsheet: operating department practitioners

  • Question asked:
    "What was your date of birth"

    Note:
    This was used to calculate current age at the point of production of this factsheet.

     
     Operating Department Practitioners 
     All professions 
    Age  Count  %  Count  %
    Not recorded 0 0% 95 0%
    Recorded 15,520 100% 320,515 100%
             
    20-29 1,790 12% 50,615 16%
    30-39 4,145 27% 97,400 30%
    40-49 4,005 26% 83,735 26%
    50-59 3,945 25% 61,345 19%
    60-69 1,565 10% 24,225 8%
    70+ 70 0% 3,195 1%
      15,520 100% 320,515 100%

    edifactsheet_age_ODP_20230418web.jpg

  • Question asked:
    "Do you consider yourself to have a disability or to be a disabled person?"

    Accompanying note in portal:
    In the UK, a disability is defined as "a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term* adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities" You may have none, one, or more conditions that you believe are covered by this definition. Please answer how you feel this definiton applies to you. (*long-term means that the impact has lasted, or is expected to last, for 12 months or more)

    Note:
    HCPC does collect further data on long term conditions, however the protected characteristic is disabilty status rather than disabling condition.

     
     Operating Department Practitioners 
     All professions 
    Disability  Count  %  Count  %
    Not recorded 0 0% 50 0%
    Recorded 14,580 100% 182,340 100%
             
    No 13,300 91% 167,045 92%
    Yes 690 5% 9,760 5%
    Prefer not to say 590 4% 5,535 3%
      14,580 100% 182,340 100%

    edifactsheet_disability_ODP_20230418web.jpg

  • Question asked:
    "Which of the following best describes your ethnic origin? Ethnicity is defined as including colour, ethnic or national origin, or nationality. Please choose whichever answer best reflects how you think of yourself."

    Portal category options:
    - White
    - Asian or Asian British
    - Black, African, Caribbean or Black British
    - Mixed or multiple ethnic groups
    - Other ethnic group
    - Prefer not to say

    Note:
    The categories presented here are the high level categories collected by HCPC. Respondents are also asked for a lower level category (18 options) based on their high level response. 

     
     Operating Department Practitioners 
     All professions 
    Ethnicity  Count  %  Count  %
    Not recorded 0 0% 35 0%
    Recorded 14,585 100% 182,360 100%
             
    White 11,420 78% 138,645 76%
    Asian 1,115 8% 21,015 12%
    Black 910 6% 9,905 5%
    Mixed 295 2% 3,955 2%
    Other 190 1% 2,650 1%
    Prefer not to say 655 4% 6,190 3%
      14,585 100% 182,360 100%

    edifactsheet_ethnicity_ODP_20230418web.jpg

  • Question asked:
    "Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?"

    Accompanying note in portal:
    Your gender identity may be the same as your assigned sex, but it may be different. You may identify as the opposite gender to your assigned sex, you may identify with neither, or with a self-described gender identity.

     
     Operating Department Practitioners 
     All professions 
    Gender Reassignment  Count  %  Count  %
    Not recorded 5 0% 255 0%
    Recorded 14,575 100% 182,135 100%
             
    Yes 14,075 97% 177,005 97%
    No 40 0% 415 0%
    Prefer to self-describe 5 0% 180 0%
    Prefer not to say 455 3% 4,535 2%
      14,575 100% 182,135 100%

    edifactsheet_genderreassignment_ODP_20230418web.jpg

  • Question asked:
    "What is your legal marital or registered civil partnership status?"

    Portal category options:
    - Married
    - Never married and never registered in a civil partnership
    - Divorced
    - In a registered civil partnership
    - Separated but still legally married
    - Widowed
    - Formerly in a civil partnership which is now legally dissolved
    - Separated but still legally in civil partnership
    - Surviving partner from a registered civil partnership
    - Prefer not to say

     
     Operating Department Practitioners 
     All professions 
    Marriage and Civil Partnership  Count  %  Count  %
    Not recorded 0 0% 55 0%
    Recorded 14,585 100% 182,335 100%
             
    Married (M) 6,895 47% 88,910 49%
    Never married or CP 4,210 29% 64,935 36%
    Separated & div. (M) 1,405 10% 9,705 5%
    In Civil Partnership (CP) 110 1% 1,800 1%
    Separated, not div. (M) 345 2% 2,080 1%
    Widowed (M) 140 1% 1,210 1%
    Separated & dis. (CP) 15 0% 110 0%
    Separated not dis. (CP) 10 0% 55 0%
    Widowed (CP) 0 0% 20 0%
    Prefer not to say 1,455 10% 13,510 7%
      14,585 100% 182,335 100%

    edifactsheet_marriage_ODP_20230418web.jpg

  • Question asked:
    "Do you consider your self to fall under the protected characteristic of 'pregnacy & maternity', as per the Equality Act 2010? 'Pregnancy' refers to the condition of being pregnant or expecting a baby, and 'maternity' refers to the period of 26 weeks after birth. The Equality Act 2010 protections also cover a someone who has had a miscarriage."

     
     Operating Department Practitioners 
     All professions 
    Pregnancy and Maternity  Count  %  Count  %
    Not recorded 10 0% 150 0%
    Recorded 14,570 100% 182,245 100%
             
    No 12,890 88% 162,910 89%
    Yes 690 5% 9,295 5%
    Prefer not to say 990 7% 10,040 6%
      14,570 100% 182,245 100%

    edifactsheet_pregnancy_ODP_20230418web.jpg

  • Question asked:
    "What is your religion or strongly held belief, if any?"

    Portal category options:
    - No religion or strongly held belief
    - Christian (Including Church of England, Catholic, Protestant and all other Christian denominations.)
    - Muslim
    - Hindu
    - Spiritual
    - Buddhist
    - Any other religion or belief
    - Jewish
    - Sikh
    - Prefer not to say

     
     Operating Department Practitioners 
     All professions 
    Religion or belief  Count  %  Count  %
    Not recorded 0 0% 50 0%
    Recorded 14,580 100% 182,335 100%
             
    No religion 6,155 42% 73,815 40%
    Christian 5,950 41% 72,625 40%
    Muslim 615 4% 7,710 4%
    Hindu 195 1% 5,335 3%
    Spiritual 220 2% 4,020 2%
    Buddhist 75 1% 1,430 1%
    Other 85 1% 1,870 1%
    Jewish 20 0% 1,225 1%
    Sikh 60 0% 885 0%
    Prefer not to say 1,205 8% 13,420 7%
      14,580 100% 182,335 100%

    edifactsheet_religion_ODP_20230418web.jpg

  • Question asked:
    "What is your Sex?"

    Accompanying note in portal: 
    This is the sex you were assigned at birth and we asked you to provide this information when you registered with the HCPC. For births registered in the UK, this will either be male or female. However, some other countries may include 'intersex' as an option. We also ask if your gender identity is different from the sex you were assigned at birth. Your gender identity may be the same as your assigned sex, but it may be different. You may identify as the opposite gender to your assigned sex, you may identify with neither, or with a self-described gender identity.

     
     Operating Department Practitioners 
     All professions 
    Sex  Count  %  Count  %
    Not recorded 0 0% 150 0%
    Recorded 15,525 100% 320,455 100%
             
    Female 9,670 62% 232,105 72%
    Male 5,420 35% 84,010 26%
    Intersex 5 0% 25 0%
    Prefer not to say 430 3% 4,315 1%
      15,525 100% 320,455 100%

    edifactsheet_sex_ODP_20230418web.jpg

  • Question asked:
    "Which of the following best describes your sexual orientation?"

    Portal category options:
    - Heterosexual/straight
    - Bisexual
    - Gay woman/lesbian
    - Gay man
    - Pansexual
    - Queer
    - Asexual
    - Prefer to self-describe
    - Prefer not to say

     
     Operating Department Practitioners 
     All professions 
    Sexual Orientation  Count  %  Count  %
    Not recorded 0 0% 60 0%
    Recorded 14,585 100% 182,330 100%
             
    Heterosexual 12,875 88% 159,645 88%
    Bisexual 205 1% 3,585 2%
    Lesbian 190 1% 2,560 1%
    Gay man 180 1% 2,390 1%
    Pansexual 30 0% 640 0%
    Queer 15 0% 510 0%
    Asexual 10 0% 205 0%
    Prefer to self-describe 5 0% 195 0%
    Prefer not to say 1,075 7% 12,600 7%
      14,585 100% 182,330 100%

    edifactsheet_sexualorientation_ODP_20230418web.jpg

Help and guidance

Protected characteristics: The nine protected charateristics of the Equality Act 2010: Age, disability, ethnicity, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation.

Registrants: An active registrant on the HCPC register at the time of the analysis.

Respondents: Registrants who provided other protected characteristic EDI data via the portal or survey.

Count: Number of registrants (age & sex) or respondents (other protected characteristics).

Not recorded: Total number of registrants/respondents for whom this information is not held. For respondents these are due to data collection system errors and only includes those who have attempted to give this information.

Recorded: Total number of registrants/respondents for whom this information is held.

All professions

Age & Sex:  All active registrants on the HCPC register, regardless of profession. 

Other protected characterictics:  All respondents of EDI regardless of profession.

EDI-Data-User-guide.png

Supply of EDI data is voluntary and therefore is not complete for all registrants. As such the tables do not represent the entire register. Consideration of the coverage as detailed in the Demography section is important when using or generalising the findings.
 
Most registrants complete or update their EDI data at renewal, so it may be up to two years old.
 
All questions have a "prefer not to say" option which are included in the tables as it is a valid response and hence indicates that the question has been asked.
 
A small number of records were been affected by now resolved issues with the data collection systems that allowed no reponse to be recorded for certain questions. These are shown as 'Not recorded' in the tables.
 
Rounding has been used to control the risk of disclosure of personal information. Counts have been rounded to the nearest five. Therefore a count of 0 in a table represents either 0, 1 or 2 registrants with that characteristic. 

Published:
28/03/2023
Resources
Data
Subcategory:
Registrant data, Diversity data
Profession
Operating department practitioners
Page updated on: 25/07/2023
Top