Care and Compassion: NHS Interview Questions
Caring for and supporting people with genuine empathy and kindness, and delivering safe, person-centred care built on respect, trust and compassion for patients, families and colleagues.
Bands 1–4 (Level 1)
- What does showing care and compassion mean to you day to day?
- Describe a time you showed genuine compassion to someone, at home or at work.
- Tell me about an occasion when you saw someone treated without care or compassion, and how you responded.
- Describe a time you helped a colleague provide caring, compassionate support to someone.
- Talk me through an example of how you provide care within your own role.
Band 5 (Level 2)
- How do you make the people you deal with feel welcome and valued? Give an example.
- Describe a time you challenged poor care, or a lack of compassion, that was affecting someone.
- Tell me about a time you helped your team deliver caring, good-quality service.
- Describe a time you raised or escalated a concern about the standard of care or compassion at work.
Bands 6–7 (Level 3)
- Tell me about a time you made sure compassionate, good-quality care was planned and delivered across your area.
- Describe a time you reinforced caring, compassionate values in the people around you.
- Tell me about a time you were pressured to act against your own values on care and compassion, and what you did.
- Describe a time you noticed a colleague needed care or support before they asked for it.
Bands 8–9 (Level 4)
- What does excellent, compassionate care mean to you, and how do you role-model it across your area?
- Tell me about a complex situation rooted in care and compassion that you had to manage.
- Describe how you have shaped or influenced best practice in care and compassion.
- What have you done to build strong, supportive relationships within your team, or with the people you serve?
What good answers contain
Listen for warmth and empathy: kindness, a person-centred approach, putting people at ease, treating people with dignity, listening properly, reassuring the anxious, and standing up for those who need it. Good answers sound human — "I could see they were frightened, so I…", "I wanted to reassure them", "I made time to listen" — and show awareness of how colleagues cope under pressure.
Signs of a weak answer
Watch for answers built on hypothetical 'I would' situations rather than real ones, a one-size-fits-all approach that isn't tailored to the person, or describing what should have happened instead of what the candidate themselves actually did.
Answer a Care and Compassion question and get instant feedback
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