Governance, safety and quality: NHS Consultant Interview Questions
A serious incident you were involved in, when you last put in a Datix, and a mistake you made are among the most asked questions at this level, alongside your audit and QI work. They test candour and learning, not whether you were blameless.
Updated 26 October 2026
How to answer
Describe the incident, your part, how the patient or family were told, what the investigation found and what changed. For QI, give the problem, the measure, the change, the result and whether it stuck. An answer with no mistake in it is the worst answer.
Frameworks: STARR for incidents and projects
- STAR Situation in a sentence, Task: what you had to do, Action: what you did in the first person, Result: the outcome with a number where there is one. Add Reflection for STARR. Full guide →
Tell us about a serious incident you were involved in and what came out of it.
- Follow-up: How was the patient or family kept informed?
Describe the incident, your part in it, how the patient or family were told, what the investigation found and what changed. Say how the staff involved were supported. The question tests candour and learning, not whether you were blameless.
When did you last put in a Datix, and what happened as a result?
Give a real recent example, what you reported, what came back and whether anything changed. If the system did not respond, say so and what you did about it. Panels want to hear that you report routinely.
Tell us about a time you made a clinical mistake and how you dealt with it.
Own it plainly, say what you did at the time, how you told the patient, what you learned and what changed. The worst answer is one with no mistake in it. The second worst is one where someone else was responsible.
Describe a quality improvement project you are proud of and what it changed.
Name the problem, the measure, what you changed, the result and whether it stuck after you left. Say who else was involved and what you would do differently. Numbers make this answer.
How is a serious incident investigated in a trust, and what is the consultant's role in that?
Describe the process in your trust: the incident report, the review, the investigation and its output, duty of candour, learning. Then the consultant's role: reporting, supporting staff, speaking to the family, and owning the actions.
Tell us about the last time you made a change that improved patient safety.
A concrete change with a measurable effect: a checklist, a handover, a guideline, a piece of equipment. Say how you knew it worked. Small and proven beats large and claimed.
What does quality mean to you, and how do we know the care in this department is good enough?
Define quality in terms of safety, effectiveness and experience, then name the measures you would look at for this department and what you would do if they were poor. Mention how you would hear from patients and staff.
What outcome measures do you use in your practice, and why those?
Name the measures you actually use, why they matter to patients, and how you act on them. If your specialty has national audits, say how you use them. Avoid listing measures you have never looked at.