A role at NHS Band 7 level is a significant career milestone, often involving leadership, specialist knowledge, and greater responsibility. These positions typically require not only clinical or technical expertise but also the ability to manage teams, handle complex patient cases, and influence service development. Band 7 roles span areas such as nursing, allied health professions, pharmacy, radiography, and more.
The salary for Band 7 roles in the NHS Agenda for Change pay scale (as of 2025) starts at approximately £43,742 to £50,056 per year, depending on experience and years of service. With leadership expectations and often advanced or extended roles, Band 7 is a gateway to higher bands and advanced practice.
To succeed in a Band 7 interview, candidates must demonstrate advanced competencies across clinical care, leadership, strategic thinking, and values alignment with the NHS Constitution. Below are 30 key Band 7 interview questions with suggested answers to help you stand out.
Top 30 NHS Band 7 Interview Questions and Answers
1. Tell us about yourself and your journey to this Band 7 role.
Answer: Focus on career progression, your qualifications, and recent leadership responsibilities. Highlight how your experience aligns with the Band 7 person specification.
2. What do you understand about the responsibilities of a Band 7?
Answer: Emphasize leadership, supervision of junior staff, quality improvement, safeguarding, governance, and clinical or specialist expertise.
3. Describe a time you led a team through a challenging situation.
Answer: Use the STAR method. Example: Managing a short-staffed ward during a flu outbreak—delegating tasks, ensuring safety, and maintaining morale.
4. How do you ensure patient safety in your practice?
Answer: Talk about risk assessments, incident reporting, infection control, and upholding clinical standards.
5. What experience do you have with audit and service improvement?
Answer: Provide examples where you identified areas for change, implemented strategies, and measured outcomes.
6. How do you handle conflict within a multidisciplinary team?
Answer: Explain your communication style, listening skills, and conflict resolution strategies—backed with an example.
7. What are the core NHS values and how do you demonstrate them?
Answer: Compassion, respect, dignity, commitment to quality of care—link each to your daily practice.
8. How do you prioritise your workload in a high-pressure environment?
Answer: Explain decision-making frameworks, delegation, and time management.
9. Tell us about a clinical decision you made that had a significant impact.
Answer: Highlight clinical reasoning, patient outcomes, and team coordination.
10. What strategies do you use to support junior staff?
Answer: Talk about mentoring, appraisals, clinical supervision, and CPD facilitation.
11. How do you handle safeguarding concerns?
Answer: Reference legislation, policies, multidisciplinary working, and examples of escalation.
12. Describe a time you made a mistake. How did you handle it?
Answer: Be honest. Focus on accountability, learning, and preventing recurrence.
13. How would your colleagues describe your leadership style?
Answer: Balanced, supportive, transparent—backed with feedback examples.
14. What would you do if you noticed a colleague acting unprofessionally?
Answer: Address it discreetly, supportively, and through appropriate channels, safeguarding patient welfare.
15. How do you stay up to date with clinical developments?
Answer: Cite journals, CPD, online platforms, and participation in professional networks.
16. What experience do you have with managing budgets or resources?
Answer: Even small-scale examples count—ordering stock, managing shifts, or rota planning.
17. How do you manage stress in the workplace?
Answer: Mindfulness, supervision, work-life balance, debriefs—explain your toolkit.
18. Describe a successful change you led in your service.
Answer: Talk through the initiative, stakeholder engagement, barriers, and outcome.
19. What role does equality and diversity play in your practice?
Answer: Ensure inclusive care, cultural competency, and awareness of unconscious bias.
20. How would you support someone going through burnout?
Answer: Active listening, referring to occupational health, signposting mental health resources.
21. Describe a situation where you had to advocate for a patient.
Answer: Focus on empowerment, ethical reasoning, and effective communication.
22. How do you ensure quality in the service you provide?
Answer: Audits, patient feedback, evidence-based practice, and peer reviews.
23. Give an example of working across boundaries with another department.
Answer: MDT meetings, discharge planning, joint care pathways—illustrate collaboration.
24. What would you do on your first 30 days in this Band 7 role?
Answer: Understand the team, policies, priorities, and start small QI initiatives.
25. How would you manage underperforming staff?
Answer: Performance appraisals, SMART objectives, support plans, and escalation if needed.
26. How do you ensure your team meets KPIs or targets?
Answer: Transparency, regular reviews, shared responsibility, and motivation.
27. What is your approach to delegation?
Answer: Based on skills, capacity, development goals—always with support and follow-up.
28. How do you involve patients in their care?
Answer: Shared decision-making, respect for autonomy, health literacy tools.
29. What would you bring to this Band 7 position that others might not?
Answer: Mention unique skills, qualifications, or perspectives—be confident but humble.
30. Do you have any questions for us?
Answer: Always ask insightful questions about team culture, challenges, and expectations.
Final Interview Coaching Tips for Band 7 NHS Success
Research the Trust and department thoroughly—know their values, services, and recent news.
Use the STAR method for structured and impactful answers.
Practice your leadership examples—these are crucial at Band 7 level.
Know your CV and achievements inside out, and tie them into the job description.
Dress professionally, arrive early (or log in early), and maintain positive body language.
Ask meaningful questions—show you’re invested in joining the team long-term.
Remember, interviewers aren’t just checking your knowledge—they’re assessing whether they’d trust you to lead in their team. Be authentic, stay calm, and let your passion for patient care shine through.
