What Does Probity Mean on an NHS Person Specification?

CareerPro UK Team

Oct 25

9 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

"Probity" appears as its own heading on many NHS medical person specifications, sometimes as "Probity – professional integrity" or "Probity and fitness to practise". Many international medical graduates (IMGs) are unsure what it is asking for, or how to show it. In short, it is about whether employers, patients and the GMC can rely on what you say, write and do.

Quick answer

On an NHS person specification, probity means professional integrity: being honest and trustworthy in line with the GMC's Good Medical Practice. In practice it covers accurate CVs and applications, truthful declarations, honest records and timesheets, managing financial and commercial interests, professional behaviour online, and raising concerns about patient safety. Employers test it through declarations, references, pre-employment checks and interview scenarios.

What you will learn in our free Professionalism and Probity for Doctors course

'Probity — professional integrity' is a heading on every NHS medical person specification. Know exactly what UK employers and the GMC expect, and avoid the mistakes that end careers. Our free online Professionalism and Probity for Doctors course is written for NHS doctors and international medical graduates. You study at your own pace in 6 short modules, with worked examples, interactive exercises and a short quiz at the end. There is no sign-up, and your progress is saved so you can stop and come back.

The 6 modules

What professionalism and probity mean: Good Medical Practice 2024 — the four domains, How the GMC thinks about dishonesty, Professional behaviour every day
Honesty in applications, records and money: Honesty in CVs and applications, References, Records, timesheets and money, Conflicts of interest and gifts, Honesty in research and education
Boundaries, chaperones and social media: Personal and professional boundaries, Intimate examinations and chaperones, Social media and online behaviour
Your health, AI and other modern risks: Your own health, Treating yourself, family and friends, Using AI tools honestly and safely
Reporting, concerns and the GMC: What you must tell the GMC, Raising concerns, How fitness to practise works, Why international doctors are at higher risk
Your evidence: CV and interviews: Probity questions in interviews

By the end of the course you will be able to

Explain professionalism and probity using the four domains of Good Medical Practice 2024
Be honest and accurate in CVs, applications, references, records, timesheets and research
Manage conflicts of interest, gifts and financial arrangements appropriately
Maintain personal and professional boundaries, use chaperones correctly and behave professionally online
Protect patients from risks related to your own health, and avoid treating yourself or people close to you
Use AI tools honestly and safely
Know what you must report to the GMC, and how to raise concerns
Describe the GMC fitness to practise process and where to get help

Why it helps your NHS application

Clear rules on CVs, references, timesheets, gifts, boundaries, social media and AI
What you must tell the GMC — and how fitness to practise works
Real-style scenarios and model answers to probity interview questions

How to write it on your NHS application

In your CV and on NHS Jobs or Trac: list it under "Courses and CPD" (or in the training and courses section of the form), for example:

Professionalism and Probity for Doctors, online CPD course, CareerPro UK. Certificate of completion, [month and year]; verifiable online, ID CP-XXXXXXXX.

In your supporting statement: show what you learned and how you use it. For example (adapt it so it is true for you):

"I completed a course on professionalism and probity covering GMC guidance on honesty, conflicts of interest and social media, and I hold myself to these standards in my practice."

At interview: the course also prepares you for questions such as "What does probity mean to you? Give an example."

Your certificate of completion

When you pass the quiz, you can download a certificate pack:

A verifiable PDF certificate of completion with your name, the course, your CPD time and a QR code that shortlisters and appraisers can scan
An appraisal-ready reflective note, pre-filled with the course learning outcomes
A ready-to-paste line for your NHS Jobs or Trac application and CV, and a one-click "Add to LinkedIn" button
Studying is free. The certificate pack is a one-off £5, and you pay only after you pass

Online course — not legal advice.

Start the free Professionalism & Probity course now

What "probity" means in GMC terms

Good Medical Practice, the GMC's core standards for doctors, came into effect in its current form on 30 January 2024. It is organised into four domains, and probity sits mainly in Domain 4: Trust and professionalism. That domain covers acting with honesty and integrity, honesty in research, professional boundaries, communicating as a medical professional (including on social media), managing conflicts of interest, and cooperating with legal and regulatory requirements.

Probity also runs through the other domains. Being honest about the limits of your competence, being open with patients when something goes wrong, and raising concerns rather than staying quiet are all part of it.

Person specifications usually express this briefly. The UK Foundation Programme specification, for example, has a "Probity and Fitness to practise" section requiring applicants to demonstrate integrity, honesty and confidentiality as set out in Good Medical Practice. National specialty training specifications require you to complete the application "fully and truthfully". Our guide to the NHS person specification explains how the other headings fit together.

Honesty in CVs and applications

This is where IMGs are most at risk, often without realising it. Good Medical Practice says you must always be honest about your experience, qualifications and current role. It also says information you communicate as a medical professional must be accurate, not false or misleading: you must not deliberately leave out relevant information or present opinion as fact.

On an application, that means:

Use accurate verbs. Write "led" or "designed" only if you did. Otherwise use "contributed to", "collected data for" or "assisted with".
Give exact dates, grades and job titles. Do not round a six-month post up to a year or call a service post "training".
List publications exactly as published, with your real author position. Mark work as "submitted" only if it has been.
Answer every declaration question fully, including previous investigations, restrictions, cautions or convictions in any country.
Check anything written with help, whether from a colleague, an agency or an AI tool. You are responsible for every word.
Choose genuine referees who know your work, and give their real professional contact details.

An honest, specific line is usually more convincing than an inflated one. "Collected data for 20 of 60 cases in a re-audit of VTE risk assessment and presented the findings at the departmental meeting" shows real involvement you can discuss confidently. If you are writing yours now, see our guide to writing an NHS supporting statement as an IMG.

If you realise you have made an inaccurate statement on a form, CV or timesheet, correct it yourself, promptly and in writing. An honest error that is put right is treated very differently from a cover-up.

Financial and commercial interests

Good Medical Practice requires doctors to be honest in financial and commercial dealings with patients, employers, insurers and others. It also says you must not allow any interests you have to affect, or be seen to affect, how you propose, provide or prescribe care. The GMC's separate guidance on identifying and managing conflicts of interest sets out three principles: prioritise patient care when interests compete, never abuse your position for financial gain, and be open and honest about all your interests.

In practice:

Declare interests such as shares in a healthcare company, paid speaking for a manufacturer or a family business, using your trust's register of interests.
Do not ask for or accept gifts, hospitality or incentive payments that could affect, or appear to affect, your clinical or referral decisions.
Be open about private practice with your employer and do not use NHS time or resources for it.
Claim only hours you actually worked, and do not work elsewhere while on sick leave without your employer's agreement. Timesheet and sick-leave fraud can be criminal offences as well as serious professional matters.
Follow local policy on small gifts from patients. Cash gifts are usually not permitted; a donation to the hospital charity is often a good alternative.

Social media and online behaviour

The same standards apply online as in person. Good Medical Practice says that when communicating publicly, including on social media, you must be honest and accurate, declare any conflicts of interest and not exploit people's vulnerability or lack of medical knowledge. It also reminds doctors that messages in private groups may become public. The GMC's guidance Using social media as a medical professional came into effect on 30 January 2024.

Practical rules:

Never share information that could identify a patient, including "anonymised" stories or images that someone could piece together.
Politely decline friend requests from patients and keep contact through official channels.
Declare any payment or sponsorship if you promote products, courses or services, and do not overstate your qualifications.
Take care in professional WhatsApp groups. Follow your trust's policy on patient information and devices.

Raising concerns

Probity is not only about your own honesty. The GMC's guidance Raising and acting on concerns about patient safety says all doctors must raise concerns when patient safety or care is being compromised. You do not need to wait for proof; an honest, reasonable belief is enough.

The usual route is:

If a patient is at immediate risk, act straight away to protect them.
Raise it locally, normally with your supervisor, consultant, manager or clinical director, following your organisation's procedure.
Escalate to the medical director or your trust's Freedom to Speak Up Guardian if local action is inadequate or inappropriate.
Go to a regulator such as the GMC or CQC if you cannot raise it locally or local action has failed.
Keep a record of what you raised, when and with whom.

The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 protects workers who make protected disclosures from victimisation or dismissal. For advice, you can contact your medical defence organisation, the BMA or the whistleblowing charity Protect.

You must also tell the GMC without delay if, anywhere in the world, you have accepted a caution, been charged with or found guilty of a criminal offence, or another professional body has made a finding against your registration.

Probity interview scenarios and how to approach them

Panels are not looking for a memorised script. They want to see that you recognise the issue, put patient safety and honesty first, treat colleagues fairly, know the escalation routes and would reflect. A simple structure:

Name the issue (probity, safety, or both).
Make patients safe now.
Gather facts and speak to the person privately, without accusing.
Escalate through the right route.
Document what happened and what you did.
Reflect, and support the colleague where appropriate.

Example scenarios:

"A colleague asks you to sign off a procedure you didn't observe." Decline politely, explain that you can only sign what you saw, and offer to observe next time.
"You notice a colleague claims full night shifts but regularly leaves early." Consider the patient-safety gap first. Speak to them privately; if it continues, raise it factually with the consultant or clinical director, or the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian. Do not jump to accusations.
"A drug company offers you paid travel to a conference." Check your trust's policy, decline anything that could affect or appear to affect your judgement, and declare any interest.
"You realise your submitted application overstated a role." Contact the employer promptly and correct it in writing.
"What does probity mean to you?" Define it as honesty, integrity and trustworthiness, link it to Domain 4 of Good Medical Practice, and give a short, true example, such as adding a dated correction to a record rather than altering the original.

Our free Professionalism and Probity for Doctors course works through these and other real-style scenarios with model interview answers.

Start the free course

Professionalism and Probity for Doctors covers honesty in applications, records and money, conflicts of interest, boundaries and social media, AI tools, reporting duties, raising concerns and fitness to practise, in short modules you can study free. You finish with a quiz and the option of a verifiable certificate and a reflective note for appraisal; the course is an independent, unaccredited study guide and is not legal advice. Start the free course here.

If you would like your NHS application reviewed and rewritten (£35), email cvreviewexperts@gmail.com.

Frequently asked questions

What is probity in medicine?

Probity means being honest and trustworthy and acting with integrity in every part of professional life. For doctors in the UK it is set out mainly in Domain 4 of the GMC's Good Medical Practice, which covers honesty, boundaries, communication, conflicts of interest and cooperation with regulators.

How do I show probity on an NHS application?

Describe every role, audit, publication and date accurately, answer all declaration questions fully and truthfully, and use genuine referees. In your supporting statement, a brief example of acting honestly, such as correcting an error openly, can support the criterion.

Do I have to declare a caution or charge from another country?

Yes. Good Medical Practice requires you to tell the GMC without delay about cautions, criminal charges and convictions anywhere in the world, and employers' application forms usually ask about them too. If you are unsure whether something counts, get advice from your medical defence organisation.

Can I accept gifts from patients in the NHS?

Small, unsolicited thank-you gifts are often acceptable under local policy, but you must not ask for or accept gifts that could affect, or appear to affect, your judgement. Cash gifts are usually not permitted, so check and follow your trust's gifts and hospitality policy.

Do I need proof before raising a concern about patient safety?

No. GMC guidance says you do not need to wait for proof, and raising an honest concern based on reasonable belief through the proper channels is justified even if it turns out to be mistaken.