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2027 Entry · Interview & UCAT SJT preparation

The six NHS core valuesExplained for interview & UCAT SJT

The six NHS core values are tested directly in UCAT Situational Judgement and indirectly throughout every UK medical and dental school interview. This guide gives the canonical definition of each value, what it means in practice, how it's asked about at interview, and what SJT cue tells you the value is being tested.

Source NHS ConstitutionTested in UCAT SJTTested in MMI & panel interviews
The six valuesHow to use them
The framework

The six NHS core values

Each value below: what it means, how it's asked about at interview, and the SJT cue that tells you it's being tested.

1. Working together for patients

Patient interests come first. Staff, services and organisations are expected to put the patient at the centre of every decision — collaborating across teams, communicating clearly, and resisting silo thinking.

At interview. "Tell me about a time you worked in a team to deliver a shared outcome" — describe the team composition, the shared goal (specific, not generic), how you communicated with members whose priorities differed, and what you would do differently. Avoid praising yourself; emphasise the team's contribution.
UCAT SJT cue. In SJT scenarios, the appropriate response is almost always one that involves DISCUSSING the issue with the relevant team member before escalating or acting unilaterally. "Address with colleague first, escalate if unresolved" is the standard pattern.
2. Respect and dignity

Every patient, family member and staff member must be treated as an individual whose opinions, beliefs and concerns matter. Includes confidentiality, informed consent, autonomy, cultural sensitivity, and never speaking about a patient as if they were not present.

At interview. "Describe a situation where you showed respect for someone whose views differed from your own." Look for: (1) you actively listened, (2) you adjusted your behaviour without abandoning your professional position, (3) you reflected on what you learned. NHS values dignity equally across all groups — bring an example that demonstrates that breadth.
UCAT SJT cue. When a scenario involves a patient or family member whose decision you disagree with (refusing treatment, asking questions you find awkward, holding a belief you find wrong), the appropriate response respects their autonomy. Disagreeing internally is fine; overriding their decision is not.
3. Commitment to quality of care

Earning the trust placed in the NHS by promising the highest standards of care — clinical and otherwise. Practitioners actively measure outcomes, learn from mistakes, and improve continuously. Excellence is expected, not occasional.

At interview. "Tell us about a time you went above and beyond." The strongest answers show: a measurable improvement (not just effort), a reflective component on what you learned, and humility about the limits of what one person can fix. Avoid "I worked very hard" without evidence of impact.
UCAT SJT cue. When SJT scenarios involve cutting corners (skipping a checklist, not completing documentation, "we always do it this way"), the appropriate response is to maintain the quality standard — even at the cost of speed or popularity. The exception: when a senior makes a different judgment call, you raise concerns but defer to the responsible decision-maker.
4. Compassion

Responding with humanity and kindness to each person's pain, distress, anxiety or need. It means going beyond the technical role to address the patient as a person — acknowledging their fear, sitting with them, finding small acts of care.

At interview. "Tell us about a time you showed compassion." The best answers are small and specific — a 10-minute conversation with a frightened relative, a phone call to follow up with a patient after a placement. Avoid grand stories; compassion in medicine is almost always quiet and ordinary.
UCAT SJT cue. SJT scenarios involving patients in distress: the appropriate first response is almost always to ACKNOWLEDGE their emotion before any clinical action. "I can see this is upsetting" + listen + then act. Rushing to a clinical answer without addressing the emotion is the common mistake.
5. Improving lives

Striving to improve health and wellbeing as well as people's experiences of the NHS. Includes promoting public health, research, prevention, and addressing the social determinants of health — not just treating disease.

At interview. "Why do you want to be a doctor / dentist?" The answer that lands as "improving lives" is usually one that names a specific moment where you understood the WORK of healthcare (not just admired doctors). Public-health awareness — that medicine sits within social context — also reads as "improving lives" rather than narrowly clinical.
UCAT SJT cue. When SJT scenarios involve broader questions of resource allocation, prevention vs cure, or whether to engage with a community-level issue (e.g. patient advocacy, public-health communication), responses that consider the wider system score well. The narrow "treat the patient in front of me" answer is rated lower when the scenario explicitly invites broader thinking.
6. Everyone counts

NHS resources are used for the maximum benefit of the whole community. No-one is excluded, discriminated against or left behind. Includes addressing health inequalities, ensuring services are accessible regardless of background, and treating staff equitably.

At interview. "How would you respond to a colleague making a discriminatory comment about a patient?" The strong answer addresses the behaviour at the time (privately, respectfully), explains why it matters professionally, and considers whether to report formally depending on severity. Avoid: ignoring it, lecturing publicly, or pretending it doesn't affect you. Real answer: address + reflect + consider escalation.
UCAT SJT cue. Scenarios involving health inequalities (homeless patient, asylum seeker, patient who doesn't speak English, patient who can't afford a prescription) — the appropriate response always finds a way to deliver care without judgment. The bias-revealing response (assuming non-compliance, treating as lower priority) is the wrong answer.
In practice

How to actually use these in interviews

Knowing the values is table stakes. These four habits are what separate a strong interview and SJT performance from a box-ticking one.

Don't name them

Strong applicants demonstrate the values through behaviour and reflection rather than label-dropping. Saying "I showed compassion" in an answer is weaker than describing what you did and letting the interviewer infer it.

Span multiple values

One care-home volunteering example can demonstrate respect + dignity + everyone counts at once; one hospital-shadowing reflection covers working together + commitment to quality. Three or four well-developed examples cover all six.

Learn the SJT patterns

The most common "right" SJT pattern: acknowledge emotion first, address directly with the relevant person, escalate only if unresolved, document for audit. Practising 50+ scenarios with the values in mind is the highest-leverage SJT prep.

Read GMC Good Medical Practice

It operationalises the values for clinicians and provides the framework most SJT scenarios are scored against — the natural companion to the NHS Constitution.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Master interview & SJT prep with NextGen MedPrep

One-to-one mock interviews with current medical-student tutors. Structured ethics and NHS-values frameworks built into every session.

Interview prep programmes UCAT SJT deep-dive guide

Reviewed by Isaac Butler-King, medical student at the University of Glasgow. Last reviewed: 13 August 2026