When British theatre technician Diane Duric moved to Malta in December 2006, three months after she qualified as an operating department practitioner, she thought she would not have any problems finding a job. In fact, she was soon employed by a private hospital but was surprised, even a little disappointed, that there were no openings in the public sector.

She said nurses in the UK had resisted the idea of having theatre technicians and she was not surprised about the scepticism locally.

"We do not want to take the role of nurses. ODPs (as they are known in the UK) work hand in hand with nurses as part of the team for the benefit of patients," she said.

Ms Duric explained that ODPs were specifically trained in theatre and had no ward training. "I do not have the training or the desire to work in wards," she said.

She explained that the two-year course prepared ODPs to scrub in and help the surgeon, aid the anaesthetist or administer post-anaesthetic care.

Ms Duric started looking for a job as an ODP in the public sector last year, after her hours in the private sector were cut and she started spending more time at home. "I was worried that I would lose my skills," she said. The former sales person sent an application to the health division only to be told that there were no openings for the post, despite the shortage of nurses.

She explained that in the private sector she worked mostly in cosmetic surgery, which made her worry that she would be losing some of the other skills she learnt.

"The system is working pretty well in the UK and also in New Zealand and Australia. I do not see why this cannot also be the case in Malta," she said.