WELCOME to the NHS Scotland Academy site for the National Perioperative Training Programme: Foundations of Perioperative Practice.
This page hosts information for:
- learners
- supervisors
- programme faculty / supporting educators
Access the programme
Workshop dates
Cohort 15
Starts 2 November 2026
| Workshop | Date |
|---|---|
| NHSSA NHS Board Tripartite Learner and Supervisors | 28/01/2027 |
| Block 1 - Pre-operative essentials | 02/02/2027 - 04/02/2027 |
| Block 2 - Peri-operative essentials | 02/03/2027 - 04/03/2027 |
| Block 3 - Post-operative essentials | 06/04/2027 - 08/04/2027 |
| Applied Learning Day 1 | 06/05/2027 |
| Applied Learning Day 2 | 03/06/2027 |
| Applied Learning Day 3 | 08/07/2027 |
| Applied Learning Day 4 | 12/08/2027 |
| End / competency completion | 19/08/2027 |
Cohort 14
Starts 2 November 2026
| Workshop | Date |
|---|---|
| NHSSA NHS Board Tripartite Learner and Supervisors | 13/11/2026 |
| Block 1 - Pre-operative essentials | 17/11/2026 - 19/11/2026 |
| Block 2 - Peri-operative essentials | 15/12/2026 - 17/12/2026 |
| Block 3 - Post-operative essentials | 19/01/2027 - 21/01/2027 |
| Applied Learning Day 1 | 11/02/2027 |
| Applied Learning Day 2 | 11/03/2027 |
| Applied Learning Day 3 | 15/04/2027 |
| Applied Learning Day 4 | 13/05/2027 |
| End / competency completion | 02/06/2027 |
Cohort 13
Starts 15 June 2026
| Workshop | Date |
|---|---|
| NHSSA NHS Board Tripartite Learner and Supervisors | 25/06/2026 |
| Block 1 - Pre-operative essentials | 30/06/2026 - 02/07/2026 |
| Block 2 - Peri-operative essentials | 04/08/2026 - 06/08/2026 |
| Block 3 - Post-operative essentials | 08/09/2026 - 10/09/2026 |
| Applied Learning Day 1 | 15/10/2026 |
| Applied Learning Day 2 | 12/11/2026 |
| Applied Learning Day 3 | 10/12/2026 |
| Applied Learning Day 4 | 14/01/2027 |
| End / competency completion | 15/07/2027 |
Cohort 12
Starts 19 January 2026
| Workshop | Date |
|---|---|
| NHSSA NHS Board Tripartite Learner and Supervisors | 29/01/26 |
| Block 1 - Pre-operative essentials | 03/02/26 - 05/02/26 |
| NHSSA NHS Board Tripartite Learner and Supervisors | 09/02/26 |
| Block 2 - Peri-operative essentials | 03/03/26 - 05/03/26 |
| Block 3 - Post-operative essentials | 21/04/26 - 23/04/26 |
| Applied Learning Day 1 | 05/05/26 |
| Applied Learning Day 2 | 02/06/26 |
| Applied Learning Day 3 | 09/07/26 |
| Applied Learning Day 4 | 13/08/26 |
Cohort 11
Starts 16 June 2025
| Workshop | Date |
|---|---|
| NHSSA NHS Board Tripartite Learner and Supervisors | 25/06/2025 |
| Block 1 - Pre-operative essentials | 01/07/25 - 03/07/25 |
| NHSSA NHS Board Tripartite Learner and Supervisors | 11/07/25 |
| Block 2 - Peri-operative essentials | 05/08/25 - 07/08/25 |
| Block 3 - Post-operative essentials | 02/09/25 - 04/09/25 |
| Applied Learning Day 1 | 09/10/25 |
| Applied Learning Day 2 | 06/11/25 |
| Applied Learning Day 3 | 04/12/25 |
| Applied Learning Day 4 | 08/01/26 |
| NHSSA NHS Board Tripartite Learner and Supervisors | 09/01/26 |
Introduction
Foundations of Perioperative Practice is an NHS Scotland Academy accelerated programme. It is designed to increase workforce capacity within National Treatment Centres (NTCs), as part of NHS Scotland’s Recovery Plan.
Who is this programme for?
This programme has been designed for registered nurses at career level 5, who have recently taken up posts within perioperative care environments or who are early career post-registration graduates.
What are the programme aims?
- To promote the ongoing development of the post-qualified nurse in contributing to current and future healthcare demands associated with perioperative care
- To support the development of knowledge, capabilities, and essential clinical skills to care for people across varied contexts of the perioperative environment
- To promote the development of values consistent with post-registration nursing practice in acting as competent, confident, and compassionate professionals, functioning within mixed disciplinary teams
- To promote independent, resilient practitioners, who, as critical thinkers, appreciate the complexity of perioperative practice, and therein, the application of evidence-based practice.
How does the programme work?
Foundations of Perioperative Practice is a 31-week programme. It is delivered through a combination of workshops and work-based learning, and is supported by online resources. Learner development is recorded and assessed against the Competency Framework for Perioperative Practice.
Workshops
Core programme content is delivered through workshops, which are arranged in three-day ‘blocks’:
- Block 1: Pre-operative essentials
- Block 2: Peri-operative essentials
- Block 3: Post-operative essentials
These workshops follow best-practice educational approaches and allow learners to develop knowledge and practise their skills with the support of educators and peers.
Core learning workshops are followed by four Applied Learning (ApLe) days, which are case-based and speciality-focused. The ApLe days encourage learners to develop critical thinking and consider principles in specific contexts.
Work-based learning
Ongoing work-based learning is completed in home Boards, with the support of clinical supervisors. Learners record their learning over the course of the programme, and this progress is regularly confirmed and signed off by supervisors.
Online resources
Digital resources, including an online portfolio, allow learners to review and consolidate their learning and track progress across the programme.
NHS Scotland Academy
The NHS Scotland Academy is an exciting partnership between NHS Golden Jubilee and NHS Education for Scotland to offer accelerated training for a wide range of health and social care roles and professions.