Nuclear Medicine Interview Questions & Answers

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About this NHS interview question bank

To prepare for a nuclear medicine NHS interview, expect questions on IR(ME)R and ARSAC licensing, patient identification and pregnancy and breastfeeding checks, radiopharmaceutical safety, spills and contamination, PET-CT workflow and how you reassure patients who are frightened by the word radioactive. Build short spoken answers around real moments from your department, know your duty holder roles and local rules, and be ready to show how you escalate to the practitioner, the radiation protection supervisor and medical physics.

This bank contains 40 original practice questions with first-person model answers for nuclear medicine technologists, radiographers and clinical scientists applying for Band 6 posts, with a selection pitched at Band 7. It covers general nuclear medicine, PET-CT, the hot lab, gamma camera quality assurance, radiation protection for staff, carers and the public, radioactive waste and incident reporting, alongside the NHS values, safeguarding, communication and leadership questions every panel asks. Each question explains what the panel is really assessing, the points to hit, the mistakes to avoid and the legislation and guidance worth reading, so you can practise answers that sound like you rather than a regulation summary.

 

What this question bank covers

• Motivation for nuclear medicine
• NHS values and patient-centred imaging
• IR(ME)R 2017 duty holders
• ARSAC employer and practitioner licences
• Patient identification
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding enquiries
• Radiopharmaceutical preparation and dispensing
• Spills and contamination
• Radiation protection for staff, carers and comforters
• PET-CT workflow
• Gamma camera quality assurance
• Radioactive waste
• Misadministration and unintended exposures
• Explaining isotopes to anxious patients
• Safeguarding children and adults
• Mental Capacity Act
• Equality and inclusive pregnancy checks
• Confidentiality
• Leadership at Band 6 and Band 7
• CPD and registration

 

40 NHS interview questions with full model answers. The first 8 are free to read below. Unlock the remaining 32 for £2.99 (12 months' access).

These are original practice questions written to reflect how NHS interviews are run. They are not leaked or official questions, and Healthcare Interview Prep is independent of the NHS.

 

 

Free NHS interview questions and model answers

 

 

Question 1: Why do you want to work in nuclear medicine?

Motivation question  ·  Motivation

 

What the interview panel is assessing

The panel wants a genuine reason for choosing nuclear medicine rather than imaging in general. They are listening for an understanding of what makes the specialty different, functional imaging, radiopharmaceuticals and radiation safety, and for some realism about the responsibility that comes with handling unsealed sources.

 

Model answer

I first came across nuclear medicine on a two-week rotation when I was training, and I'll be honest, I expected it to be the quiet corner of the imaging department. It wasn't. On my second morning I watched a bone scan on a man with prostate cancer who'd been told his X-rays looked fine, and the images showed exactly where his pain was coming from. That was the moment it clicked for me that we're not just taking pictures of structure, we're showing how the body is actually working.

What keeps me interested is how many skills the job asks of you in one day. You might start in the hot lab checking a generator elution and dispensing doses, then be positioning a frail patient for a forty-minute acquisition, then talking a frightened parent through why their child needs a renogram. I like that mix of careful technical work and real time with patients. With a lot of our scans people are with us for hours, sometimes across two visits, so you get the chance to build a bit of trust with them.

I also take the responsibility seriously. We're handling unsealed radioactive sources, so getting the patient, the radiopharmaceutical and the activity right every time really matters, and so does keeping colleagues, carers and the public safe. I find that discipline reassuring rather than off-putting. I like working somewhere the checks are clear and everyone understands why they exist.

Longer term I'd like to grow into PET-CT and eventually support training others, but right now I want to be the person in the department who patients feel calm with and colleagues trust to get the detail right.

 

Why this answer works

The answer opens with a specific moment instead of a general statement, which makes it believable. It shows the candidate understands what makes nuclear medicine distinct, balances technical and patient care, and recognises the safety responsibility of working with radioactive materials.

 

Key points to include

• A specific moment that drew you to the specialty
• Understanding of functional imaging and how it differs from other modalities
• The mix of hot lab, imaging and patient care
• Respect for radiation safety and the checks involved
• Where you want to develop next

 

Common mistakes to avoid

• Saying you want a quieter job than general radiography or CT
• Giving an answer that could apply to any imaging modality
• Ignoring the patient and talking only about the technology
• Sounding casual about working with radioactive materials

 

NHS values and standards

Commitment to quality of care; Compassion; Improving lives; HCPC Standards of conduct, performance and ethics

 

Further reading

• NHS Constitution for England
• Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017
• British Nuclear Medicine Society (BNMS) professional resources
• HCPC Standards of proficiency for your profession

 

 

Question 2: Before you administer a radiopharmaceutical, how do you carry out pregnancy and breastfeeding checks, and what would you do if a patient told you she might be pregnant?

Patient Safety question  ·  Pregnancy and breastfeeding enquiries

 

What the interview panel is assessing

The panel is checking that you know pregnancy and breastfeeding enquiries are a legal requirement under IR(ME)R and that you carry them out sensitively, privately and every time. They also want to see that you stop and refer to the practitioner rather than making the decision yourself when there is doubt.

 

Model answer

I always do the pregnancy and breastfeeding check myself, in private, just before administration, even if the patient has ticked a box on a form earlier. Under IR(ME)R the enquiry has to be made for anyone of childbearing potential, and our employer's procedures set out who that includes and how it's recorded. I'd make sure the patient is on their own if possible, because people don't always answer honestly in front of a partner or a parent.

I keep the language simple and non-judgemental. Something like, 'Because this scan uses a small amount of radioactive medicine, I need to ask everyone whether there's any chance they could be pregnant, and whether you're breastfeeding.' Then I record the answer and sign it in line with our procedure.

If she told me there was a chance she might be pregnant, or her period was late, I would not inject. I'd explain why, kindly, and then speak to the practitioner, who for nuclear medicine is the ARSAC licence holder or whoever acts under their authorisation. It's their decision whether the exposure is still justified, whether it can be postponed, whether a pregnancy test is appropriate, or whether the activity or the test itself should change. Sometimes the scan is urgent and the benefit clearly outweighs the risk, but that's a justification decision, not mine.

Breastfeeding is different but just as important. Depending on the radiopharmaceutical, the ARSAC guidance and our local protocol might advise interrupting feeds for a period, expressing beforehand, or no interruption at all. I'd check our protocol, and if it wasn't clear I'd ask the physics team or the practitioner. Then I'd give her clear written advice, including about close contact with the baby if that applies.

Whatever the outcome, I'd document the conversation and the decision, so anyone looking at the record later can see exactly what was asked and who decided.

 

Why this answer works

The answer shows the candidate knows the enquiry is a legal duty, carries it out privately and sensitively, and understands that the justification decision belongs to the practitioner. It treats breastfeeding as a separate question with radiopharmaceutical-specific advice and stresses documentation.

 

Key points to include

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding enquiry is required under IR(ME)R for those of childbearing potential
• Ask privately, just before administration, in plain language
• If pregnancy is possible, stop and refer to the practitioner for a justification decision
• Breastfeeding advice depends on the radiopharmaceutical and local protocol
• Document the enquiry, the answer and the decision

 

Common mistakes to avoid

• Relying on a form completed earlier in the day
• Asking in front of relatives or in a busy corridor
• Deciding yourself whether to go ahead
• Forgetting to ask about breastfeeding at all

 

NHS values and standards

Respect and dignity; Commitment to quality of care; Compassion; HCPC Standards of conduct, performance and ethics

 

Further reading

• Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017 (and the Northern Ireland equivalent)
• ARSAC Notes for Guidance
• Society of Radiographers inclusive pregnancy status guidance
• Your employer's IR(ME)R procedures

 

 

Question 3: A patient arrives for a bone scan and says she's frightened of being made radioactive and worried about her grandchildren. How would you talk to her?

Communication question  ·  Explaining isotopes to anxious patients

 

What the interview panel is assessing

The panel wants to see that you can explain radiation in plain, honest language without dismissing fear or overloading the patient with physics. They are listening for empathy, accurate reassurance, practical advice about contacts and the patient's right to ask questions before agreeing.

 

Model answer

First of all I'd slow down. If someone's frightened, launching into an explanation in the waiting room won't help, so I'd take her somewhere quiet, sit down at her level and ask her what she's heard and what's worrying her most. Often the worry is very specific, and in her case it's the grandchildren, so that's where I'd focus.

I'd explain that the injection is a tracer, a very small amount of a radioactive medicine that travels to the bones and lets the camera see how they're working. I'd say honestly that it does give her a radiation dose, but that it's been worked out to be as low as we can make it while still giving the doctors a clear answer, and that a doctor has checked that the scan is the right test for her. I'd avoid comparisons that sound like I'm brushing it off, but I might say it's in the same sort of range as some other common medical scans.

Then the practical bit. Most of the tracer leaves the body in her urine over the next day, and the radioactivity itself fades quickly. I'd go through our written advice with her. Drinking plenty and emptying her bladder often helps. For the rest of the day, depending on our local advice, she might be asked to avoid prolonged close contact with young children or anyone pregnant, things like having a grandchild sit on her lap for a long time. A quick hug isn't the problem people imagine. I'd make sure she had a leaflet to take home so she didn't have to remember it all.

Finally I'd check she understood and ask if she had any other questions. If she still wanted to think about it or speak to the doctor, that's her right, and I'd help arrange that. In my experience, once people feel listened to and get a straight answer, most of them are happy to go ahead, and they leave far calmer than they arrived.

 

Why this answer works

The answer starts with listening and finding the specific worry, which is good practice with anxious patients. Explanations are honest and in plain English, the practical contact advice is tied to local written guidance, and the patient's right to decide is respected.

 

Key points to include

• Find out what specifically worries the patient
• Explain the tracer simply and honestly, without minimising
• Mention that the test has been justified by a practitioner
• Give practical, written advice on contact and fluids following local guidance
• Check understanding and respect the right to ask more or decline

 

Common mistakes to avoid

• Saying 'it's completely harmless' or 'there's no radiation really'
• Using jargon like becquerels and half-lives without explanation
• Giving contact advice from memory rather than local written guidance
• Rushing because the list is busy

 

NHS values and standards

Compassion; Respect and dignity; Working together for patients; HCPC Standards of conduct, performance and ethics

 

Further reading

• Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017
• ARSAC Notes for Guidance (patient information and advice)
• Your department's patient information leaflets
• NHS Constitution: patient rights to information

 

 

Question 4: Can you explain how IR(ME)R and ARSAC licensing work in a nuclear medicine department, and where you fit in?

Technical question  ·  IR(ME)R and ARSAC licensing

 

What the interview panel is assessing

The panel is checking that you understand the legal framework for medical exposures and can describe the duty holders accurately. They want to hear how the employer and practitioner licences work and how your own role as an operator fits within employer's procedures and authorisation guidelines.

 

Model answer

IR(ME)R is the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017, which cover patient exposures in England, Scotland and Wales, with an equivalent set in Northern Ireland. They're about protecting the patient, and they sit alongside the Ionising Radiation Regulations 2017, which protect staff and the public.

IR(ME)R sets out duty holders. The employer has to have written procedures and protocols and a quality assurance framework. The referrer, usually a doctor or another authorised healthcare professional, supplies enough clinical information for the request. The practitioner justifies the exposure, deciding that the benefit outweighs the risk. And operators carry out any practical aspect, which in my role includes things like checking identity, doing the pregnancy enquiry, dispensing and administering the activity and acquiring the images. There's also the medical physics expert, who advises on dose, optimisation and equipment.

What's specific to nuclear medicine is ARSAC licensing. Since 2018 there have been two kinds of licence. The employer needs a licence for each site where radioactive substances are given to people, covering the procedures that site can do. The practitioner, usually a consultant radiologist or nuclear medicine physician, needs their own individual licence to justify those administrations. Both have to be in place for the procedure being done.

In practice the practitioner can't look at every referral, so they issue written authorisation guidelines. Those let trained operators like me authorise a request when it clearly meets the criteria. If a request falls outside them, I don't authorise it; I go back to the practitioner.

So where I fit in is very clear. I work within the employer's procedures, I'm entitled and trained for the tasks I do, and I know where my authority stops. If I'm ever unsure whether something is justified or whether the activity is right, I stop and ask before the patient is injected, because once it's given it can't be taken back.

 

Why this answer works

This is an accurate, structured explanation of the duty holders and the dual ARSAC licensing system, delivered in plain spoken language. It shows the candidate knows their own scope as an operator and the importance of stopping before administration when in doubt.

 

Key points to include

• IR(ME)R 2017 protects patients; IRR17 protects staff and the public
• Employer, referrer, practitioner and operator duties, plus the medical physics expert
• ARSAC employer licence per site and individual practitioner licence
• Authorisation guidelines allow trained operators to authorise within set criteria
• Know your scope and stop before administration if unsure

 

Common mistakes to avoid

• Mixing up IR(ME)R and IRR17
• Saying the referrer justifies the exposure
• Not knowing that ARSAC has employer and practitioner licences
• Overstating your own authority as an operator

 

NHS values and standards

Commitment to quality of care; Working together for patients; HCPC Standards of proficiency

 

Further reading

• Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017
• Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017
• ARSAC Notes for Guidance
• Your employer's IR(ME)R procedures and authorisation guidelines

 

 

Question 5: While you're drawing up a dose in the injection room, a vial is knocked over and radioactive liquid spills across the bench and floor. Talk us through what you would do.

Clinical Scenario question  ·  Spills and contamination

 

What the interview panel is assessing

The panel wants a calm, ordered response that protects people first, contains the spill, involves the radiation protection supervisor and follows local rules. They are also listening for monitoring, safe waste handling, record keeping and reporting so lessons are learned.

 

Model answer

The first thing is people, not the spill. I'd stop what I'm doing, warn anyone nearby and keep them out of the area, and check whether anyone, including me, had been splashed. If a patient was in the room I'd move them out safely first.

Then I'd contain it. Our local rules and spill kit are there for exactly this, so I'd keep my gloves and apron on, put on a fresh pair of gloves over the top if mine were contaminated, and cover the spill with absorbent material, working from the outside in so I don't spread it. I'd put a sign up to restrict access. I'd let the radiation protection supervisor know straight away, and they'd decide whether we need physics support.

If I thought I had contamination on my skin, I'd deal with that quickly, washing with lukewarm water and mild soap and not scrubbing, because scrubbing can damage skin and help it absorb. I'd monitor my hands, shoes and clothing with the contamination monitor before leaving the area.

Once it's contained, the clean-up follows the local procedure. All the contaminated absorbent, gloves and wipes go into labelled radioactive waste bags. I'd monitor the bench and floor afterwards and repeat cleaning if needed. If an area couldn't be fully decontaminated, it might need covering and leaving to decay, and that's a decision for the RPS and physics. With short half-life isotopes like technetium that's often realistic, but it's not something I'd decide alone.

Then I'd record it: what happened, the radionuclide and roughly what activity, who was involved, monitoring results and what we did. It goes on the incident system in line with PSIRF, and the RPS and radiation protection adviser will look at whether anything needs to change. I'd also think about the patient whose dose I was drawing up, because their appointment may need rearranging, and I'd explain that to them honestly.

Looking back on spills I've seen, the thing that makes the biggest difference is staying calm. Panic is what spreads contamination.

 

Why this answer works

The answer follows a safe, logical order: people, containment, personal decontamination, clean-up, monitoring, recording and learning. It correctly involves the RPS and physics, avoids scrubbing skin and shows awareness of waste handling and the knock-on effect for the patient.

 

Key points to include

• Protect people first and restrict access
• Contain the spill with absorbent material from the outside in
• Inform the radiation protection supervisor promptly
• Decontaminate skin gently and monitor yourself and the area
• Bag waste correctly, record the incident and report it for learning

 

Common mistakes to avoid

• Starting to wipe the spill before warning others
• Scrubbing contaminated skin
• Leaving the area without monitoring shoes and hands
• Not reporting because it was 'only a small spill'

 

NHS values and standards

Commitment to quality of care; Working together for patients; HCPC Standards of conduct, performance and ethics

 

Further reading

• Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 and your local rules
• Your department's spill and contamination procedure
• Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF)
• IPEM and BNMS guidance on radiation safety in nuclear medicine

 

 

Question 6: Which NHS value matters most to you in nuclear medicine, and can you give an example of showing it?

NHS Values question  ·  NHS values in practice

 

What the interview panel is assessing

The panel is checking that you know the six NHS values and can bring one to life with a real example from imaging. They want to see behaviour rather than a definition, and why that value matters for patients having nuclear medicine tests.

 

Model answer

The NHS values are working together for patients, respect and dignity, commitment to quality of care, compassion, improving lives, and everyone counts. The one I come back to most is respect and dignity, because a lot of our patients spend a long time with us in quite a vulnerable position.

I remember an older man who came in for a whole-body bone scan. He'd been injected earlier, gone away for his uptake period and come back, and when he returned he was quiet and a bit embarrassed. He'd had an accident in the toilet and some urine had got onto his trousers. Of course that's also a contamination issue for us, because the urine is radioactive at that point.

I could see he was mortified, so I took him into a side room straight away rather than talking about it at the desk. I explained gently that it happens a lot, because we ask people to drink plenty, and that I needed to check his clothing with a monitor because the tracer leaves the body in urine. I found him a gown and a blanket, bagged his trousers according to our procedure so they could be checked and returned, and made sure he could wash privately. Then I scanned him with the blanket over him so he wasn't exposed lying on the couch.

Afterwards he thanked me for not making a fuss. What stayed with me was how easily that could have gone differently. If we'd treated it purely as a radiation incident he'd have felt like a hazard rather than a person. Respect and dignity for me means doing the safety work properly but doing it in a way that protects the patient's pride. I try to keep that in mind with every patient who's lying on a camera couch for half an hour wondering what we're seeing.

 

Why this answer works

The candidate names all six values accurately and picks one with a real nuclear medicine example. The story combines dignity with correct contamination handling, which shows the candidate does not see safety and compassion as competing priorities.

 

Key points to include

• Name the six NHS values correctly
• Pick one and explain why it matters in nuclear medicine
• Use a specific example of what you did
• Show that safety and dignity go together
• Link it to everyday practice

 

Common mistakes to avoid

• Listing values with no example
• Confusing the NHS values with the 6Cs
• Telling a story where the patient is passive
• Choosing an example with no link to your profession

 

NHS values and standards

Respect and dignity; Compassion; Commitment to quality of care

 

Further reading

• NHS Constitution for England
• HCPC Standards of conduct, performance and ethics
• Your department's contamination procedure

 

 

Question 7: How do you work with radiologists, medical physicists and radiopharmacy to make sure a nuclear medicine service runs safely?

Teamwork question  ·  Working with the wider team

 

What the interview panel is assessing

The panel wants to see that you understand who does what in a nuclear medicine service and that you communicate early and clearly across professional boundaries. They are listening for examples of escalation, mutual respect and the patient benefiting from good teamwork.

 

Model answer

Nuclear medicine only works if everyone knows what everyone else is doing, because a lot of what we do is time-critical and depends on a chain of people. The radiopharmacy or hot lab prepares the radiopharmaceuticals, the practitioner justifies the test, we administer and acquire, physics keeps the equipment and doses right and advises on anything unusual, and the reporting radiologist or physician turns it into an answer for the patient.

Day to day, a lot of it is good communication at the start of the session. I like to check the list with radiopharmacy early, so if a kit has failed quality control or there's a delivery problem we know before the patient's in the chair rather than after. If something unusual comes up, a patient who weighs much more than average, a child, or someone who's had an extravasation, I'll ring physics early rather than guess.

With radiologists, I see my job as giving them the best possible images and the right information. For example, I had a patient on a bone scan who mentioned a fall the week before that wasn't on the request. I added it to the clinical notes, and I asked the radiologist whether they'd like extra views of that area before the patient left. They did, and it made the report much more useful. That sort of thing only happens if you feel comfortable picking up the phone.

I also think respect works both ways. Physicists aren't just there when the camera breaks, and radiopharmacy staff are working to tight times under strict aseptic and radiation rules. I try to give them clear information and realistic timings, and I say thank you. When something does go wrong, it's much easier to sort out with people who know you're reliable.

So for me it's about early conversations, clear information, knowing who owns which decision, and never being afraid to ask.

 

Why this answer works

The answer shows a clear understanding of each team's role and of the chain of dependencies in nuclear medicine. A concrete example shows the candidate adding value for the reporter and patient, and the answer emphasises early communication and respect across disciplines.

 

Key points to include

• Understand the roles of radiopharmacy, practitioner, physics and reporter
• Communicate early, especially about supply and unusual patients
• Give the reporter accurate clinical information and good images
• Know who owns each decision and escalate appropriately
• Mutual respect and reliability

 

Common mistakes to avoid

• Talking only about your own team
• Describing physics only as the people who fix equipment
• Giving no concrete example
• Suggesting you would make physics or justification decisions yourself

 

NHS values and standards

Working together for patients; Commitment to quality of care; Respect and dignity

 

Further reading

• Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017 (duty holder roles)
• ARSAC Notes for Guidance
• IPEM guidance on the role of the medical physics expert
• HCPC Standards of conduct, performance and ethics

 

 

Question 8: You realise that a patient has just been given the wrong radiopharmaceutical. What do you do?

Patient Safety question  ·  Misadministration incidents

 

What the interview panel is assessing

The panel is looking for honesty, immediate patient safety, prompt escalation to the practitioner and physics, and correct reporting. They want to hear that you understand IR(ME)R notification duties for significant unintended exposures, Duty of Candour and a learning rather than blaming culture.

 

Model answer

The first thing I'd do is make sure the patient was safe and stop anything else going ahead. I wouldn't give any further injection or start imaging until I'd spoken to someone senior. Then I'd tell the practitioner and the senior technologist or radiographer in charge straight away, and contact physics, because the medical physics expert needs to estimate the dose the patient has received and advise on what it means.

I'd also keep everything: the syringe, the vial, the labels and the paperwork. That's important for working out exactly what was given and how it happened.

Then the patient needs to be told honestly. Under IR(ME)R, if an exposure is clinically significant the referrer, the practitioner and the patient have to be informed, and Duty of Candour applies too. Usually the conversation would be led by the practitioner or a senior clinician, but I'd want to be part of it if that's appropriate, because I was involved. It needs to be in plain language: what happened, what it means for them, what we're doing next, and an apology. Saying sorry isn't admitting liability; it's the right thing to do. They may also need advice about contact with others or fluid intake depending on what was given, and the original test may need rebooking.

After that I'd complete an incident report. Under PSIRF the trust looks at how the system allowed this to happen rather than just who. The employer will also decide whether it meets the criteria for notifying the IR(ME)R regulator, which in England is the CQC, with equivalent bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

I'll be honest, if it were my error I'd feel awful. But hiding it or delaying would be far worse for the patient and for the next patient. What I'd want to come out of it is a clear change, maybe how doses are labelled or how the final check is done, so it doesn't happen to someone else.

 

Why this answer works

The answer gives a safe sequence: protect the patient, escalate, preserve evidence, communicate openly, report and learn. It refers accurately to IR(ME)R duties to inform, Duty of Candour, PSIRF and regulator notification while acknowledging the human feelings involved.

 

Key points to include

• Stop further administration or imaging and keep the patient safe
• Inform the practitioner, senior staff and medical physics expert promptly
• Preserve syringes, vials and paperwork
• Open, honest communication with the patient under IR(ME)R and Duty of Candour
• Incident report, PSIRF learning and possible regulator notification

 

Common mistakes to avoid

• Trying to fix it quietly or waiting to see if anyone notices
• Telling the patient nothing until an investigation is finished
• Blaming a colleague or radiopharmacy in the room
• Not knowing that some incidents must be notified to the regulator

 

NHS values and standards

Commitment to quality of care; Respect and dignity; Everyone counts; HCPC Standards of conduct, performance and ethics (openness)

 

Further reading

• Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017
• CQC guidance on IR(ME)R notifications (England)
• Duty of Candour (Health and Social Care Act 2008 Regulations 2014, regulation 20)
• Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF)

 

 

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