Paediatrics: NHS Consultant Interview Questions

The paediatrics questions that sit on top of the consultant appointments core: clinical scenarios, the system and governance questions specific to the specialty, and presentation titles.

Updated 7 November 2026

The structures these questions are marked on

  • SAFER See the patient, Assess systematically with ABCDE, Fix what you can and decide, Escalate with a clear request in SBAR or ISBAR, Review: the patient told, the handover, the documentation and what you would do if the first plan failed. Full guide →
  • The What it is in a sentence, Why it matters with a fact, What it means for this organisation and specialty, What I would do at my level and how I would measure it. Full guide →
  • 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 →

Clinical scenario

Decide and explain the decision. Own the complication plainly, describe the change and how you checked it worked. Be honest about gaps in your training and how you will close them; panels respect candour and distrust claims of complete readiness.

  1. Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the clinical director or clinical leadSAFER

    A junior raises a safeguarding concern about a child and the family strongly dispute it. How do you lead the response?

    See the child and assess yourself. Keep the child safe while the facts are established. Lead the response: the named doctor, the safeguarding team, the strategy discussion. Speak to the family honestly without accusation. Support the junior who raised it, and document carefully.

  2. Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the consultant colleague in the specialtySAFER

    A previously well infant deteriorates quickly overnight and needs retrieval to a tertiary centre. How do you manage it as the consultant on call?

    Come in. Lead the resuscitation and the stabilisation, call the retrieval service early with a clear request, keep the parents informed and with their child, and debrief the team afterwards.

  3. Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the clinical director or clinical leadSAFER

    How would you improve safeguarding in this paediatric department?

    Asked at real panels. The training, the supervision, the escalation routes, the information sharing with community services, and one specific gap you would close.

  4. Often askedUsually asked by the consultant colleague in the specialtySAFER

    Parents want to take their unwell child home against advice. What do you do?

    Find out why, explain the risks plainly, look for a safe compromise, involve the senior nurse and if needed the safeguarding team, and document. The child's safety comes first.

  5. Often askedUsually asked by the clinical director or clinical leadSAFER

    A teenager on the ward discloses self harm and does not want their parents told. How do you handle it?

    Confidentiality and its limits, the teenager's competence, the risk, the mental health team, and how and when parents are involved. Document and support the ward team.

System knowledge

Read the trust's strategy, annual plan, CQC report and staff survey before the interview and quote their themes back. For waiting lists and productivity, name the levers a consultant actually has and how you would measure progress. Keep proposals to what one person can deliver in a first year.

  1. Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the chief executive or deputySYSTEM

    What are the biggest challenges facing paediatric services in this trust?

    Winter surges, children's mental health presentations, community paediatric waiting lists including neurodevelopmental assessments, the paediatric workforce, and health inequalities. Know the trust's position and give one contribution.

  2. Often askedUsually asked by the medical directorSYSTEM

    What does the future of acute general paediatrics in this department look like over ten years?

    A presentation title reported from a real panel. Ambulatory care, consultant presence, integration with community services, and the network. Give a view.

Governance, safety and quality

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.

  1. Asked in most interviewsUsually asked by the medical directorSTARR

    Tell us about a serious incident in paediatrics you were involved in and what changed.

    The incident, your part, the family told, the review, the change and how you know it stuck.

  2. Often askedUsually asked by the clinical director or clinical leadSTARR

    What has the specialty learned from recent inquiries about safety culture in neonatal and paediatric units?

    Listening to staff who raise concerns, data that is reviewed, a culture where people speak up, and senior presence. Say what you would do here.

Presentation

Answer the title set, not a general one. Signpost a structure with a recommendation, use facts about this trust, finish inside the time, and prepare for the questions that follow. Most panels now limit or ban slides, so practise speaking without them.

  • The future of acute general paediatrics in this department over the next ten years.
  • Reducing health inequalities for children in the population this trust serves.
  • Meeting the demand for children's mental health care in a paediatric department.

Contribute to the bank

Recently interviewed? Tell us what you were asked. Every reported question goes into the ranking that decides which questions appear here and how often they come up in practice sessions.