NHS INTERVIEW GUIDE

NHS Values Interview Questions: What They Mean and How to Answer

The six NHS Constitution values explained, with example questions for each, how to answer using STAR and a full sample answer.

Last updated 24 October 2026 · Created by a practising NHS doctor · Independent of the NHS

Quick answer

What are NHS values interview questions and how do you answer them?

NHS values questions test whether your behaviour matches the six NHS Constitution values: working together for patients, respect and dignity, commitment to quality of care, compassion, improving lives, and everyone counts. Answer with a real example using the STAR method, say what you personally did, and include escalation where there was a safety risk.

Key takeaways

There are six NHS Constitution values; know each in your own words.
Panels score evidence of behaviour, not statements of belief.
Use STAR: keep the situation short and focus on your actions.
Read your trust's own values and use its wording where it fits.
One strong example can show more than one value.

Whatever role you apply for in the NHS, from porter to consultant, you can expect questions about values. Panels want to know not only whether you can do the job, but how you will treat patients, families and colleagues while you do it.

This guide explains the six values set out in the NHS Constitution, what values-based recruitment means in practice, the kind of question you might be asked for each value, and how to answer with a real example rather than a general statement. There is also a full sample answer you can adapt and a list of common mistakes.

In this guide

The six NHS Constitution values
What values-based recruitment means
Question themes and example questions for each value
How to answer values questions using STAR
A full sample answer: respect and dignity
Why this answer works
Common mistakes with NHS values questions
Preparing your own examples

The six NHS Constitution values

The NHS Constitution for England sets out six values that apply to everyone working in the NHS. They were developed with patients, the public and staff, and they underpin how many trusts recruit.

Working together for patients. Patients come first in everything we do, and we work across teams and organisations to put them at the centre.
Respect and dignity. Valuing every person as an individual, respecting their views and being honest about what we can and cannot do.
Commitment to quality of care. Getting the basics right every time, welcoming feedback and learning from mistakes.
Compassion. Responding to people's pain, distress or anxiety with kindness, and finding time for the people we serve and work alongside.
Improving lives. Striving to improve health and wellbeing and people's experience of the NHS.
Everyone counts. Using resources fairly, making sure nobody is excluded or left behind, and accepting that some people need more help.

What values-based recruitment means

Values-based recruitment is an approach that assesses whether a candidate's own values and behaviours fit with the NHS values, alongside their skills and experience. Health Education England, now part of NHS England, promoted it across the NHS in England, and many trusts build their interview questions, scoring and sometimes assessment centre tasks around it.

In practice this means the panel is looking for evidence of how you have actually behaved, not just what you believe. Saying "I treat everyone with respect" scores very little. Describing a time you noticed a patient's dignity was at risk and what you did about it scores much more.

Many trusts also have their own values, often worded differently but covering similar ground. Read your trust's values before the interview and use their language where it fits. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own NHS values and frameworks, so check the relevant ones if you are applying there.

Question themes and example questions for each value

The questions below are original practice questions written to show the kind of theme a panel might explore. Exact wording varies widely between trusts and roles.

Working together for patients: "Tell us about a time you worked with another team or service to get the right outcome for a patient."
Respect and dignity: "Describe a situation where you had to protect someone's dignity or privacy when it would have been easier not to."
Commitment to quality of care: "Give an example of when you noticed something was not being done properly. What did you do?"
Compassion: "Tell us about a time you supported someone who was distressed or frightened."
Improving lives: "Describe a change, however small, that you suggested or made to improve someone's experience of care."
Everyone counts: "Tell us about a time you adapted how you worked so that someone was not disadvantaged, for example because of language, disability or background."

How to answer values questions using STAR

Most values questions are behavioural. They ask you to describe something you did. The STAR method gives you a clear shape for that story.

Keep the situation and task brief, put most of your time into the action, and finish with the result and what you learnt. Use "I" rather than "we" for the action, so the panel can hear what you personally did. If the example involves risk to a patient, make sure your answer shows how you escalated it or sought senior help.

Situation: where you were and what was happening, in a sentence or two.
Task: what you needed to do or what the problem was.
Action: the specific steps you took and why.
Result: what happened, what changed for the patient or team, and what you would take from it.

A full sample answer: respect and dignity

The answer below responds to the practice question "Describe a situation where you had to protect someone's dignity or privacy when it would have been easier not to." It is written from the point of view of a healthcare assistant on a busy surgical ward. It is an example to adapt, not a script to learn.

Example answer: respect and dignity (healthcare assistant)

It was a late shift on the surgical ward and we were really stretched. One of my patients, an older man a couple of days after bowel surgery, had been incontinent in bed. The bay was busy with visitors and the curtain around his bed didn't close properly at one end. A colleague suggested we just change him quickly because the next drug round was about to start.

I could see he was embarrassed. He'd turned his face to the wall and wasn't speaking. I felt that rushing it, with people walking past a gap in the curtain, would make it much worse for him. So I asked my colleague to give me two minutes, found a spare screen from the store room to cover the gap, and quietly asked the visitors in the next bed space if they wouldn't mind waiting in the day room for a few minutes.

Then I spoke to him before we did anything. I told him what we were going to do, kept him covered as much as possible, and talked to him normally throughout rather than over him. I also noticed his skin looked quite red over his sacrum, so once he was comfortable I told the nurse in charge straight away so it could be checked and recorded, and we put him on a more regular turning chart.

Afterwards he thanked me and said it was the first time he'd felt like a person all day. It took maybe five extra minutes. What stayed with me is that dignity often comes down to small things, like a screen or a few words of explanation. I raised the broken curtain rail with the ward manager too, and it was reported and fixed that week.

Why this answer works

The situation is short and believable. The candidate explains why the easy option was a problem and takes clear personal action. Patient dignity stays at the centre throughout. There is also an element of safety: the candidate spots a possible pressure area and escalates it to the nurse in charge rather than ignoring it or acting outside their role. The result covers both the patient's experience and a practical fix for the curtain, and there is a short, honest reflection at the end.

Common mistakes with NHS values questions

Reciting the values without evidence. Panels want examples, not a list of definitions.
Saying "we" all the way through. Teamwork matters, but the panel needs to know what you did.
Choosing an example where you were the hero and others were careless. It can come across as blaming colleagues. Focus on what you did and how you supported the team.
Leaving out escalation. If there was a safety or safeguarding concern, say who you told and how.
Forgetting the result. Many answers stop at the action. Say what changed and what you learnt.
Ignoring the trust's own values. If the trust has its own wording, show you have read it.

Preparing your own examples

Before the interview, jot down two or three real situations from work, placements, volunteering or even non-healthcare jobs that you could use for each value. Some examples will cover more than one value, which is useful if you get an unexpected question. Practise saying them aloud using STAR, and keep any patient details general.

Every NHS role on the site has 8 free practice questions with model answers, including values-based questions written for that specific role, which you may find useful for checking your examples against a realistic answer.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 6 NHS values?

The six values in the NHS Constitution for England are working together for patients; respect and dignity; commitment to quality of care; compassion; improving lives; and everyone counts. They apply to all NHS staff, whatever their role. Many trusts have their own values too, often worded differently, so it is worth reading your trust's version before the interview and linking your answers to it.

How do I answer NHS values questions with no healthcare experience?

Draw on any setting where you dealt with people: retail, hospitality, caring for a relative, volunteering or school and college. The values are about behaviour, so a time you helped an upset customer or adapted something for someone with a disability can show compassion or everyone counts. Use the STAR structure and explain how the same approach would carry into the NHS role.

Do I need to learn the NHS Constitution word for word?

No. You should know the six values and be able to explain what each one means in your own words, with an example. It also helps to know in broad terms that the Constitution sets out rights and responsibilities for patients and staff. Panels are far more interested in how you show the values than in whether you can quote the document.

What is a values-based interview in the NHS?

It is an interview where questions are designed to test whether your behaviour reflects the NHS values, alongside your skills and knowledge. Questions usually ask you to describe real situations, such as supporting a distressed person or raising a concern. Panels often score answers against set criteria, so clear, specific examples using the STAR method tend to do well.

Can one example cover more than one NHS value?

Yes, and good examples often do. A story about supporting a frightened patient might show compassion, respect and dignity, and working together for patients. When you answer, lead with the value the question is asking about, then mention the others briefly if they fit. Having a few flexible examples ready also helps if a question surprises you.

Practise with NHS interview questions for your role

Each NHS role on this site has 40 original practice questions with full model answers. The first 8 are free to read, and the rest of a role's bank costs £2.99 with 12 months' access and no subscription.

More NHS interview guides

Healthcare Interview Prep is an independent NHS interview preparation website. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the NHS. Example questions and answers are original practice material, not official or leaked interview questions.

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