NHS Values-Based Interview Questions and Answers

Almost every NHS interview includes values questions, whatever the band or role. Health Careers tells applicants to show their understanding of the NHS values and how they would apply them in daily work, both in the application form and at interview. Trust panels often score these answers as carefully as the clinical or technical questions.

This page explains what values-based recruitment is, sets out the six values from the NHS Constitution for England, and gives two interview questions with example answers for each value. There are also scenario practice questions in the style some trusts use for pre-screening and assessment centres.

What values-based recruitment is

NHS Employers describes values-based recruitment as an approach that helps employers attract and select people whose personal values match those of the organisation, rather than focusing only on skills and experience. It is linked to the values in the NHS Constitution. NHS Employers lists several ways employers put it into practice:

  • Pre-screening assessments before interview.
  • Values-based interviews, including role play and written responses to scenarios.
  • Assessment centres with several activities.

It also provides tools that help employers map their own organisational values to the NHS Constitution values. That is why your trust's values may be worded differently from the national ones, while covering the same ground.

Where values show up in the process

  1. Application form. Your supporting information should include examples of the values in action. Health Careers notes that applications are typically scored on how well they match the selection criteria.
  2. Pre-screening. Some trusts, particularly for high-volume roles such as healthcare support workers, use online questionnaires or scenario tests. Check what your invitation says.
  3. Interview. Most panels ask at least one question per value, or per trust value.
  4. Assessment centre. Some trusts use group exercises, role play or written scenarios to observe behaviour directly.

The six NHS Constitution values

The NHS Constitution for England lists six values. In short:

  • Working together for patients. Patients come first, their needs come before organisational boundaries, and staff speak up when things go wrong.
  • Respect and dignity. Every person is valued as an individual, and staff are honest about what they can and cannot do.
  • Commitment to quality of care. Safety, effectiveness and patient experience, with feedback used to improve.
  • Compassion. Kindness and humanity, responding to distress without waiting to be asked.
  • Improving lives. Improving health, wellbeing and experience, with excellence in everyday work as well as innovation.
  • Everyone counts. Using resources for the benefit of the whole community, so nobody is excluded or left behind.

Interview questions mapped to each value

Use the STAR method for each answer and keep it to around two minutes. The example answers below come from different roles and levels, so adapt them to your own experience.

1. Working together for patients: Tell me about a time you worked with others to improve a patient's or customer's experience.

Example answer: "On my placement a patient's discharge kept being delayed because nobody had arranged his wheelchair. I phoned the occupational therapist and the equipment service, and arranged a time with his wife to bring it in. He went home the next day. It showed me that one person taking ownership helps the whole team."

2. Working together for patients: Describe a time you raised a concern.

Example answer: "As a healthcare assistant I noticed a bed rail had been left down for a patient who was at high risk of falls. I raised it with the nurse in charge straight away, even though the nurse involved was more senior than me. She thanked me afterwards, and we agreed to check rails at every safety round."

3. Respect and dignity: How do you protect a patient's dignity during personal care?

Example answer: "I explain what I am going to do and ask for consent, close the curtains properly, keep the person covered as much as possible and let them do what they can for themselves. I also ask how they like things done rather than assuming."

4. Respect and dignity: Tell me about a time you worked with someone whose views were very different from yours.

Example answer: "At my last job a colleague and I disagreed about how to handle a regular customer's complaints. I listened to her reasons, and it turned out she knew the customer's history. We agreed a shared approach, and the complaints stopped. I try to assume people have a reason until I know otherwise."

5. Commitment to quality of care: Tell me about a time you made a mistake.

Example answer: "I once recorded a patient's fluid intake on the wrong chart. When I noticed at the end of my shift, I told the nurse in charge, corrected the record with a note of the error and made sure the right chart was accurate before handover. Since then I check the name band against the chart every time."

6. Commitment to quality of care: How do you respond to feedback?

Example answer: "My mentor told me my handovers were too long and missed key risks. I asked her to show me a good example and started using a simple structure. A few weeks later she said they were clearer, and the night staff said the same."

7. Compassion: Describe a time you supported someone who was distressed.

Example answer: "A relative was crying in the corridor after hearing bad news about her mother. I took her to the quiet room, made her a cup of tea and sat with her. I did not try to explain the medical side, but asked if she wanted the nurse to come and talk her through it, and arranged that."

8. Compassion: How would you care for a patient who is aggressive towards you?

Example answer: "I would stay calm and keep myself and others safe, and try to understand what is behind it, as aggression is often pain, fear or confusion. I would speak quietly and give them space. If the risk continued, I would follow the trust's policy and get help."

9. Improving lives: Tell me about something you have improved.

Example answer: "At the care home where I volunteered, residents who could not get to the lounge rarely joined activities. I suggested a weekly music session that moved around the rooms. Staff noticed residents were brighter afterwards, and the home kept it going after I left."

10. Improving lives: How do you keep developing in your role?

Example answer: "I keep a short record of things I want to learn, ask for feedback after difficult shifts and do the trust e-learning promptly. At the moment I am working on my phlebotomy competency."

11. Everyone counts: How would you make sure a patient with additional needs gets fair care?

Example answer: "I would find out what support they need, such as an interpreter, easy-read information or a carer present, and make sure that is arranged rather than making do. If a patient has a hospital passport, I read it and share the key points at handover."

12. Everyone counts: Tell me about a time you used resources carefully.

Example answer: "On my ward we were throwing away a lot of opened dressing packs. I suggested we stocked smaller packs on the trolley and kept the larger ones in the store room. The ward manager said our order went down the next month, and nothing ran short."

For more general questions, see our NHS interview questions guide, and for clinical roles, our nursing interview questions.

Practice questions in the values-based style

These are our own scenario items, similar in style to the situational questions some trusts use in pre-screening or assessment centres.

Practice question 1

A patient tells you that the nurse on the previous shift was rude to her and refused to help her to the toilet. What do you do?

A. Tell her the nurse is very busy and probably did not mean it B. Listen, apologise that she had that experience, help her now, and pass the concern to the nurse in charge so it can be looked into C. Tell the nurse involved that the patient complained about her D. Ignore it, as you did not see it happen

Answer: B. It meets the patient's immediate need, takes the concern seriously and uses the proper route. A dismisses her, C could create conflict and does not follow process, and D leaves the problem unaddressed.

Practice question 2

A colleague makes a joke about a patient's weight within earshot of other patients. What is the best response?

A. Laugh along so you do not upset the colleague B. Say nothing, as it was only a joke C. Speak to the colleague privately afterwards and explain why it was not appropriate, and raise it with the nurse in charge if it continues D. Report the colleague to HR immediately

Answer: C. It respects the patient's dignity and gives the colleague a fair chance to change. A and B accept disrespect, and D is disproportionate as a first step for a single remark.

Practice question 3

An elderly patient keeps pressing the call bell for small things, and colleagues have started ignoring it. What do you do?

A. Ignore it too, as you have other patients B. Answer the bell, find out what is behind the repeated calls and agree a plan with the patient and the team, such as regular check-ins C. Move the call bell out of reach D. Tell the patient to stop pressing it

Answer: B. Repeated calls often signal anxiety, pain or confusion. A and D ignore a need, and C is unsafe and could be neglect.

Practice question 4

You are asked to help with a quick improvement idea on the ward, but it would mean staying late unpaid every week. What is the most appropriate response?

A. Refuse to take part at all B. Agree and stay late every week to look committed C. Say you are keen to help and ask whether it can be built into your working hours or protected time D. Agree but then not turn up

Answer: C. It shows commitment to improvement while being honest about boundaries. B is not sustainable, and A and D do not help the team.

Practice question 5

A patient whose first language is not English seems not to understand the discharge instructions, but his son offers to translate. What is the best action?

A. Use the son, as it is quicker B. Give the leaflet in English and hope he understands C. Arrange a professional interpreter, in line with trust policy, so the information is accurate and the patient can ask questions privately D. Delay discharge until a family member who speaks better English is available

Answer: C. Trust policies generally favour professional interpreters for clinical information, so it is accurate and confidential. A and B risk misunderstanding, and D is an unnecessary delay.

Practice question 6

You notice that the ward has run low on a type of dressing and a colleague is using an expensive alternative for every patient. What do you do?

A. Say nothing, as patient care matters more than cost B. Check whether the alternative is clinically appropriate, raise the stock problem with the nurse in charge and suggest ordering more of the usual dressing C. Tell the colleague to stop using it D. Use the expensive option yourself

Answer: B. Everyone counts includes using resources wisely without compromising care. The other options either ignore the issue or act beyond your role.

Tips for values-based answers

  • Read the trust's values page before you write your application. Many panels score against those exact words.
  • Prepare one real example per value. Six well-chosen stories can cover most values questions.
  • Show behaviour, not adjectives. "I am compassionate" scores lower than a two-minute story where you were.
  • Include reflection. Panels like to hear what you learned or would do differently.
  • Be consistent. If the trust uses a pre-screening questionnaire, answer honestly; contradictions are easy to spot.

If your trust uses a scenario test or numeracy screen, our interview and test training package includes situational judgement and numerical practice. For band-specific questions, see our Band 5 and healthcare assistant guides.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the six NHS values?

The NHS Constitution for England lists working together for patients, respect and dignity, commitment to quality of care, compassion, improving lives, and everyone counts. Many trusts also have their own values that link back to these.

What is values-based recruitment in the NHS?

NHS Employers describes it as an approach that helps employers find people whose personal values match those of the organisation. It is linked to the values in the NHS Constitution and can be used in pre-screening, interviews and assessment centres.

How do I answer a values-based interview question?

Give a real example using the STAR structure, say clearly what you did and why, and link it to the value without quoting the Constitution word for word. Panels look for behaviour, not slogans.

Should I use my trust's values or the NHS Constitution values?

Both. Read the trust's own values on its website, as panels often score against those, and be ready to show how they connect to the NHS Constitution values.

Can I use examples from outside healthcare?

Yes, especially for entry-level roles. Examples from retail, hospitality, caring for a relative, volunteering or study work well if they show the behaviour the question is about.

About the author

Ingmar van Maurik is a specialist in test and interview preparation who helps candidates perform better in recruitment processes.

References