20 NHS Interview Questions for IMG Doctors (With Answer Tips)

NHS interviews for trust grade and clinical fellow posts are usually short: 20 to 30 minutes, two or three panel members, often on Microsoft Teams. That means every answer counts. The good news is that the same questions come up again and again. If you prepare a clear, honest answer to each of the 20 below, you'll be ready for almost anything a panel asks.

Quick answer: the most common NHS interview questions for IMG doctors are "Tell us about yourself", "Why the NHS and why this Trust?", a clinical scenario (often a sick patient or an emergency), a patient safety or error question, a teamwork or conflict question, and questions on clinical governance, audit, teaching and NHS values. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for experience questions, and an ABCDE approach with clear escalation for clinical scenarios.

How NHS panels score your answers

Most panels score each answer against the person specification. They want three things: that you are safe, that you will work well in an NHS team, and that you understand how things are done here. You don't need perfect English or textbook phrases. You need short, structured answers with real examples. Keep most answers under two minutes.

About you and your motivation

1. Tell us about yourself.

Give a 60-second summary: where you qualified, your experience in this specialty, one achievement relevant to the job, and why you've applied. Don't recite your CV from medical school onwards.

2. Why do you want to work in the NHS?

Be specific and positive. Mention structured training and supervision, multidisciplinary working, evidence-based practice (NICE guidance, audit) and your long-term plan. Avoid answers that are only about pay or moving abroad.

3. Why this Trust and this post?

Read the Trust website and the job description. Mention the department, a service it runs, the teaching or QI time in the post, or its CQC rating. One real detail is better than general praise.

4. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Show a realistic plan: complete this post, gain specific competences, pass a membership exam (MRCP, MRCS, FRCEM, MRCPsych, FRCA), then apply for training or a specialty doctor role.

5. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Choose a strength relevant to the post, with an example. For the weakness, pick something real but not dangerous, and say what you're doing about it (for example, getting used to UK documentation and prescribing systems).

Clinical scenarios

6. You're called to see a patient who is acutely unwell on the ward. What do you do?

Use ABCDE, start immediate management, call for help early (registrar, outreach, or a 2222 call if appropriate), use NEWS2 and SBAR to escalate, document, and update the family. Panels want to hear "I would escalate" clearly.

7. A patient is deteriorating and your senior isn't answering. What do you do?

Patient safety comes first. Keep treating, try again, then escalate up the chain: another registrar, the on-call consultant, the site or bed manager, or the critical care outreach team. Never wait alone.

8. A nurse asks you to prescribe something you aren't sure about.

Don't prescribe outside your competence. Check the BNF and local guidelines, ask a pharmacist or senior, and explain to the nurse what you're doing and why.

9. How would you break bad news to a patient or family?

Describe the SPIKES approach: setting, perception, invitation, knowledge, emotions, strategy and summary. Our SPIKES guide for UK doctors has a worked example.

10. A patient refuses treatment. What do you do?

Assess capacity under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. If they have capacity, respect their decision, explore their reasons, give information and document. If they lack capacity, act in their best interests and involve seniors and family. See our guide to the Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity Act.

Patient safety, governance and ethics

11. Tell us about a time you made a mistake.

Choose a real, minor error that didn't cause serious harm. Explain what happened, how you put it right, how you told the patient (duty of candour) and your senior, what you reported, and what you changed afterwards. Panels mark down "I've never made a mistake".

12. What is clinical governance?

It's the framework the NHS uses to keep care safe and improve quality. Mention its parts (audit, risk management, education and training, clinical effectiveness, patient involvement, information and staff management) and give your own example. Our clinical governance interview answer has a model structure.

13. Tell us about an audit you've done.

Give the topic, the standard you measured against, the results, the change you made and whether you re-audited. If you're unsure of the difference between an audit and a QIP, read our audit vs QIP guide.

14. You notice a colleague smells of alcohol on shift. What do you do?

Patient safety comes first. Speak to the colleague privately if it's safe to do so, make sure they aren't treating patients, and escalate to a senior or the consultant. Follow Trust policy. This is about probity and GMC Good Medical Practice; see our guide to probity.

15. What would you do if you had a safeguarding concern?

Recognise it, make sure the patient is safe, discuss with a senior and the safeguarding team, document clearly and follow local procedures. Our guides on adult safeguarding and safeguarding children explain your duties.

Teamwork, teaching and NHS values

16. Tell us about a conflict in your team and how you handled it.

Use STAR. Show that you listened, kept it professional and focused on the patient, and found a solution or escalated appropriately.

17. Describe your teaching experience.

Give one specific example: who you taught, what, how you got feedback and what you'd improve. Our guide to teaching experience for NHS jobs has more ideas.

18. Give an example of leadership.

Leadership doesn't need a title. Leading a night shift, organising a teaching programme or running an audit all count. See our guide to showing leadership as an IMG.

19. How do you promote equality, diversity and inclusion?

Give a practical example: using interpreters, adapting communication, challenging inappropriate comments, or making reasonable adjustments. Our EDI interview guide has sample answers.

20. Do you have any questions for us?

Always have one or two ready: the induction and supervision arrangements, teaching or QI opportunities in the post, or how the rota works. Don't ask about leave or pay in this part.

IMG-specific tips

• Use UK terms. Say SHO, registrar, consultant, NEWS2, SBAR, Datix, MDT, discharge summary. It shows you'll fit in quickly.

• Use your overseas experience with confidence. High patient volumes and limited resources are real strengths. Link them to safe, structured practice.

• Bring in UK exposure. A clinical attachment, ALS or ATLS course or UK e-learning gives you NHS examples. See our guide to getting your first NHS job with no UK experience.

• Test your tech. For a Teams interview, use a laptop, wired internet if possible, a plain background and good light. Join five minutes early.

• Practise out loud. Record yourself answering these questions, or practise with a friend. Aim for answers that are clear, not memorised.

Get the application right first

You can't prepare for an interview you don't get. If you're applying but not getting shortlisted, our £35 NHS CV review and £35 supporting statement service are built for IMG doctors applying through NHS Jobs and Trac.

Frequently asked questions

How long is an NHS interview for a junior doctor post?

Usually 20 to 30 minutes, with two or three panel members. Many are now held online.

What is the STAR method?

Situation, Task, Action, Result. It's a simple way to structure answers about your experience so the panel can score them easily.

Do NHS interviews include clinical questions?

Yes. Most trust grade and clinical fellow interviews include at least one clinical scenario, such as an acutely unwell patient. Use ABCDE and show clear escalation.

What questions do NHS interviews ask IMGs specifically?

Usually "Why the NHS?", how you'll adapt to working in the UK, and how you handle communication across cultures. Answer positively, with examples.

Should I memorise answers?

No. Prepare the structure and a real example for each question, then practise speaking naturally. Memorised answers sound scripted and fall apart with follow-up questions.