NHS Interview Questions: Working Together for Patients

What "Working Together for Patients" means in the NHS

The NHS Constitution places patients at the heart of everything the NHS does and commits staff to putting the interests of patients first. Working together for patients means collaborating across professional boundaries, sharing information appropriately, involving patients and carers in decisions about their care, and ensuring that the system works as a coherent whole rather than a collection of siloed departments. This value also encompasses partnership working with other organisations, including social care, the voluntary sector, community services and local authorities, to provide joined-up pathways. At interview, panels are looking for evidence of effective teamwork, proactive communication and a willingness to put patient or service user needs at the centre of every decision.

Example interview questions

NHS panels come at this value from a few different angles. Bring one real shift, one real patient, one thing you actually did.

• Tell me about a time you worked as part of a multidisciplinary team to achieve the best outcome for a patient or service user.
• Give me an example of a time when you had to resolve a disagreement within your team whilst keeping the patient's needs at the forefront.
• Describe a situation where you needed to share information across teams or organisations to support continuity of care.
• How do you ensure patients and their families are involved in decisions about their care?
• Tell me about a time you went beyond your usual role to ensure a patient received the right support.

A strong example answer

I was working as a support worker in a community mental health team when one of our service users, a young man with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, stopped attending his medication reviews and became difficult to contact. I was concerned about his welfare and raised it with the community psychiatric nurse during our weekly team meeting.

Rather than waiting for the next scheduled home visit, I suggested we contact the service user's GP practice directly to check whether he had attended any recent appointments there, as he had mentioned to me that he trusted his GP. The GP practice confirmed he had attended twice in the past month and agreed to pass on a message asking him to contact our team.

I also liaised with the housing officer who managed his supported living accommodation, who was able to confirm he was physically present and safe. Within three days, the service user called in and agreed to restart his care plan.

This experience showed me that working across organisational boundaries, whilst maintaining appropriate information governance, is essential to keeping vulnerable people safe. I was able to contribute meaningfully by sharing the relationship I had built with the service user and using it to help him reconnect with his care team.

Evidence you can draw on

On a values question, a named example beats a good intention every single time.

• Voluntary or paid work in a multidisciplinary or multi-agency setting where you collaborated with professionals from different backgrounds.
• Experience coordinating across teams in any sector. Project management, event coordination or customer service contexts can all provide valid examples.
• Care or support roles where you liaised with GPs, social workers or third-sector organisations on behalf of a person in your care.
• Academic group projects or placement experiences where you navigated team dynamics to deliver a shared outcome.
• Personal caring experience involving coordination between NHS services, social care and family members.

Tips for a strong answer

Say your example out loud before the panel. Sounding rehearsed is fine. Sounding vague is what costs you.

• Keep the patient's outcome at the centre of the story. Team dynamics and professional relationships are the route, not the point.
• Show that you shared information appropriately and within your scope. Information governance is the detail that separates a strong answer from a worrying one.
• If your example involves a disagreement, describe how you handled it professionally. Panels want constructive, not conflict-free.
• Say "multidisciplinary team" or "MDT" if it genuinely applies. It signals that you know how NHS teams are actually structured.

Frequently asked questions

Why is "working together for patients" the first NHS value?

It is listed first because it captures the fundamental purpose of the NHS, which is to serve patients. Every other value flows from that priority. The NHS Constitution places patients and the public at the centre of all NHS activity, ahead of organisational or professional interests.

What is a multidisciplinary team (MDT) in the NHS?

An MDT is a group of healthcare professionals from different disciplines, such as doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, social workers and occupational therapists, who work together to plan and deliver care for a patient. MDT working is standard practice across NHS trusts for complex or long-term conditions.

How do I answer NHS teamwork interview questions?

Use the STAR method and pick one specific example where you collaborated with others to achieve a patient-centred outcome. Be clear about your personal contribution, how you communicated across teams and what the result was for the patient or service user.