The Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) is the main provider of hospital services for Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and North Powys in England. According to its Wikipedia entry, the Trust runs the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, the Oswestry Maternity Unit and the Wrekin Community Clinic at Euston House in Telford.
Over time the Trust has faced major challenges and undergone significant change. For example an independent enquiry into maternity services found serious concerns and the Trust has been implementing reforms.
The Trust offers a wide range of acute and community services, including accident & emergency, diagnostics, in-patient care, trauma and orthopaedics, supporting patients from both England and parts of Wales.
In recent years staffing pressures and financial cost pressures have been significant, with reports of hundreds of vacancies and daily operating cost pressures.
Understanding the organisation’s background is important when preparing for an interview. It helps you demonstrate awareness of the culture, challenges and mission of the Trust—something that interviewers appreciate.
In the following sections I (Jerry Frempong, UK-based career coaching professional of over 25 years) will walk you through interview questions and sample answers for differing roles at the Trust. Each section begins with a brief explanation of the role’s importance, job description and salary range (as available). Then I provide opening questions, competency (STAR model) questions, and ending questions, with model answers. Let’s get started.
Importance & Job Description:
The Healthcare Assistant role at the Trust is central to delivering day-to-day patient care and supporting the nursing/midwifery team. It ensures patients receive compassionate, safe, and efficient care, supports ward routines, liaises with patients and families, and helps maintain standards of hygiene, comfort and safety.
Salary: around £24,465 per annum for full time in many postings. NHS Jobs+1
Q: Why have you applied for a Healthcare Assistant role at Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust?
A: I have applied because I want to contribute directly to patient wellbeing in a trusted NHS setting. I am drawn to the Trust’s commitment to high quality care in Shropshire and Telford, and I believe my compassionate nature, strong listening skills and ability to work reliably under pressure will enable me to support patients and the nursing team effectively.
Q: Describe a time when you supported a patient or service user who was anxious or upset.
A: – Situation: In my previous role at a care home, one resident had just undergone surgery and was anxious about returning to the ward.
Task: My task was to reassure them, help them feel comfortable, and liaise with the nurse to answer their questions and monitor their vital signs.
Action: I sat with them, listened to their concerns, explained what would happen in simple terms, ensured their room was safe and calm, informed the nurse about their concerns, and checked regularly that they were comfortable.
Result: The resident’s anxiety reduced, they settled quickly into post-operative recovery, and the nurse commented that the hand-over had been smoother because I had spotted a slight temperature rise early and alerted them.
This experience demonstrates my ability to work sensitively with patients, to communicate clearly and to support a healthcare team—qualities I will bring to the Trust.
Q: Do you have any questions for us?
A: Yes, thank you. Could you tell me how the Trust supports continuing professional development for Healthcare Assistants? And what the typical shift patterns are for the ward I’ll be working on?
Importance & Job Description:
The Registered Nurse (Band 5) plays a pivotal role in the delivery of safe, effective, person-centred nursing care. They lead on assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care, supervise assistants and junior staff, liaise with multidisciplinary teams and ensure adherence to standards, policies and guidelines. At the Trust, this could be on a ward or speciality.
Salary: average about £32,220 per year in this Trust, per published data. Indeed+1
Q: What do you understand about the culture and values of Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust?
A: I recognise that the Trust is focused on providing high-quality care to the communities of Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and beyond. Despite challenges, the area values compassionate, safe and effective care, collaborative practice across teams and ongoing improvement. I am committed to working within such a culture, contributing positively to patient outcomes and team morale.
Q: Tell us about a time when you led a junior colleague through a difficult situation on the ward.
A: – Situation: On a busy orthopaedic ward, one of the HCAs was new and struggling with the documentation process during a complex discharge.
Task: As the responsible nurse, I needed to guide them through the process, ensure patient safety, and maintain discharge timelines.
Action: First I paused with the HCA, reviewed the documentation together line by line, explained the rationale behind key fields, asked them to complete practice entries under supervision while I observed and provided feedback, then allowed them to complete the rest independently, checking afterwards. I also followed up with them the next shift to reinforce learning.
Result: The HCA completed the discharge accurately, the patient left on time with clear information, and the HCA reported they felt confident and supported. This strengthened team trust and led to smoother handovers thereafter.
Q: What are your professional development goals within the next two years?
A: My goal is to complete the Nursing Associate to Registered Nurse conversion and then pursue a Band 6 aspirational post within a surgical or acute ward setting at the Trust. I would also like to lead on a quality improvement project relating to enhancing patient experience or reducing falls, aligning with the Trust’s improvement agenda.
Importance & Job Description:
An Occupational Therapist at Band 6 in the Trust supports patients to regain or maintain independence in activities of daily living, participates in multidisciplinary care planning, assesses functional ability, recommends equipment or adaptations, and works across wards or community settings. Their interventions impact patient outcomes, efficiency of discharge and longer-term wellbeing.
Salary: for example a “Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist” job at the Trust is listed at £47,810 to £54,710 per annum. NHS Jobs
Q: Why do you want to join the Trust in this Allied Health Professional role?
A: I’m motivated by the opportunity to work for a major NHS Trust in the West Midlands region, trusted by communities, and to apply my specialist OT skills to support rehabilitation and independence for patients. The salary band reflects the level of responsibility and skill I bring, and I’m excited by the professional challenges and opportunities for impact here.
Q: Can you give an example of when you revised a patient care plan as a result of functional assessment findings?
A: – Situation: A patient recovering from a stroke had been on a general care plan but their progress stagnated.
Task: I needed to reassess and adjust the plan to enable improved functional outcomes and meaningful discharge.
Action: I performed a detailed functional assessment, identified specific task-based goals (such as independent dressing and meal preparation), recommended equipment (e.g., adaptive utensils, a reacher) and liaised with the ward team and physiotherapist to integrate those goals into daily routines. I also educated the patient and family on the home environment adaptations.
Result: Within four weeks the patient’s independence improved by one functional grade, discharge was timely and the family reported feeling more confident. For the Trust this meant improved bed turnover and better patient satisfaction.
Q: How do you keep up-to-date with professional best practice in occupational therapy?
A: I subscribe to the British Association of Occupational Therapists journals, attend local CPD events, and utilise the Trust’s internal learning resources. At the Trust I would also engage with peer review, case-sharing forums and contribute to service improvement initiatives to ensure my practice remains evidence-based and innovative.
Importance & Job Description:
In the A&E department, the Senior Sister or Charge Nurse is a leadership role, supervising nursing staff, ensuring safe and effective patient flow, leading on emergency protocols, liaising with multi-disciplinary teams, and driving quality improvements in urgent care. At the Trust this is a critical role given their acute services. Salary for this band at the Trust is listed around £47,810 to £54,710 per year. NHS Jobs
Q: What do you view as the main challenges for the A&E department in this Trust and how would you address them?
A: Key challenges include patient flow, high demand, staff retention and maintaining high standards under pressure. I would focus on robust triage systems, frequent handover reviews, staff empowerment and support, and identifying bottlenecks in the process using data. Engaging the team in real-time problem-solving and promoting learning from near-misses will help enhance performance and morale.
Q: Describe a time when you had to lead the nursing team through a particularly busy shift with limited resources.
A: – Situation: In my previous role, on a bank holiday weekend the A&E department was particularly busy and short-staffed.
Task: As Charge Nurse I had to ensure patient safety, maintain standards, allocate staff effectively and keep calm in the team.
Action: I immediately prioritised patient risk, reallocated staff to triage and resuscitation as needed, communicated clearly with the team, arranged quick refreshers for less-experienced staff, liaised with porters and radiology for expedited imaging, and kept the ward manager informed. I also supported staff emotionally, checked breaks and debriefed at end of shift.
Result: Despite the high pressure we met all urgent care targets that shift, there were no incidents, the team reported feeling supported and the lead clinician said the nursing coordination had been excellent.
Q: How would you support the professional development of nurses under your supervision?
A: I would conduct regular one-to-one meetings, identify development goals aligned with the Trust’s priorities, facilitate access to training (for example A&E triage training), encourage reflective practice and lead team-based learning sessions. I would also recognise and reward good practice to promote retention and engagement.
Importance & Job Description:
Within the Trust’s pathology or laboratory services, a Biomedical Scientist plays a vital role in diagnosing disease, processing and analysing specimens, ensuring quality control and delivering accurate results that inform patient care. The salary range at the Trust for some similar roles is around £31,049 to £37,796 per annum. NHS Jobs+1
Q: What interests you about working as a Biomedical Scientist at SaTH?
A: I’m keen to join the Trust because I value working within a hospital environment where my analytical and technical skills directly support patient care. I am impressed by the Trust’s commitment to diagnostics and the opportunity to work with a multidisciplinary team to deliver accurate results with integrity and efficiency.
Q: Tell us about a time when you identified a critical error or deviation in laboratory results and acted on it.
A: – Situation: During routine sample runs I noticed an unexpected deviation in control readings which could have impacted patient results.
Task: I needed to investigate, halt the process if necessary, report the issue and ensure patient safety.
Action: I immediately escalated the deviation to my supervisor, checked the instrument calibration logs, traced the sample batch, identified a reagent issue, suspended further testing, documented the incident and communicated with the ward/clinicians about possible delays. I followed up with corrective actions and reviewed the QC procedure with the team.
Result: The issue was resolved before any patient result was compromised, the laboratory’s quality control system was strengthened, and subsequent internal audit showed improved reliability of results.
Q: How do you manage time and workload when you have multiple urgent samples to process?
A: I prioritise based on clinical urgency, liaise with clinicians for time-sensitive tests, work efficiently but maintain accuracy, queue tasks logically, and communicate with the team about status. I also monitor equipment and workflow proactively to minimise bottlenecks and ensure turnaround times meet Trust standards.
Importance & Job Description:
In the Trust, a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist supports patients with complex communication and swallowing disorders, often across inpatient and outpatient settings. They work closely with multidisciplinary teams and contribute to rehabilitation and recovery. Salary for a comparable specialist role at SaTH is listed at £38,682 to £46,580 per annum. NHS Jobs
Q: Why did you choose speech and language therapy and why apply here?
A: I was drawn to speech and language therapy because I believe communication and swallowing are fundamental to dignity and quality of life. I applied to the Trust because I want to work in a supportive NHS environment with opportunities to contribute to specialist services, to collaborate across teams and help patients regain independence in these areas.
Q: Provide an example when you developed a care plan for a patient with complex needs and how you evaluated its effectiveness.
A: – Situation: I had a patient post-stroke with combined aphasia and dysphagia, multiple comorbidities and reduced mobility.
Task: My task was to assess, develop and implement a tailored plan and measure outcomes.
Action: I completed a comprehensive assessment, set SMART goals for communication and swallowing, implemented daily therapy sessions, recommended adapted cutlery and safe diet modifications, educated the family and liaised with dietician and OT for home follow-up. I tracked progress weekly, adjusted goals and delivered training to ward staff for consistency.
Result: The patient achieved improved communication clarity and safe swallowing within two months, was discharged home with a revised plan and family reported improved quality of life. The plan also reduced readmission risk, aligning with the Trust’s patient care goals.
Q: What do you see as emerging challenges in speech and language therapy in acute hospital settings?
A: One challenge is increasing complexity of patient presentations, shorter hospital stays and the need for efficient discharge planning. Another is ensuring digital and remote therapy options post-discharge. I would address these by staying current with research, adopting new technologies, and working closely with community teams to support continuity of care.
Importance & Job Description:
In leadership roles such as Divisional Director of Operations at SaTH, you are responsible for operational oversight of key divisions, ensuring delivery of elective and urgent care targets, resource management, performance improvement, risk management and aligning with the Trust’s strategic direction. A recent listing at the Trust shows a salary of £91,342 to £105,337 for such a post. NHS Jobs
Q: What leadership style do you bring and how will that support this Trust’s improvement journey?
A: I adopt a collaborative, data-driven and empowering leadership style. I believe in setting clear objectives, engaging teams in solutions, using performance metrics to drive improvement and ensuring a culture of accountability and learning. At SaTH, where improvement is a strategic priority, I will support the journey by aligning operational performance with patient outcomes, supporting staff development and championing change.
Q: Tell us about a time you led a large-scale operational improvement project.
A: – Situation: In my previous role I was tasked with reducing emergency department waiting times across two sites.
Task: Lead the project, implement new processes, engage staff, monitor data and deliver results.
Action: I established a project team, analysed baseline data, identified bottlenecks in triage and flow, piloted fast-track for ambulatory patients, redesigned staffing rosters, engaged with IT for real-time dashboards, held weekly review meetings and engaged staff for feedback.
Result: Within six months we reduced waiting times by 18 %, improved patient satisfaction scores, and the model was adopted across the wider trust. I believe similar methodologies would advance SaTH’s operational objectives.
Q: How will you balance operational delivery with staff wellbeing and culture?
A: I will build staff wellbeing into performance metrics, embed regular engagement forums, recognise achievement, ensure staffing levels and resources support safe work, and lead by example in promoting a positive culture. Ensuring the workforce is supported is central to sustainable operational delivery.
(Continue in the same manner for additional roles such as: Consultant Anaesthetist, Highly Specialist Cardiac Physiologist, Medical Secretary, Housekeeper/Ward Support Worker, Endoscopy Healthcare Assistant, etc., each with role importance, job description, salary, opening question, competency question (STAR) and ending question.)
Preparing for an interview at the Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust or any major NHS organisation requires confidence, clarity, structure and demonstrating alignment with the Trust’s values. Here are key coaching points:
Do’s:
Do research the Trust’s mission, services, current challenges and how your role contributes.
Do use the STAR model (Situation, Task, Action, Result) when answering competency questions.
Do highlight your contributions to patient care, teamwork, continuous improvement and the NHS values.
Do ask thoughtful questions at the end about development, team structure or next steps.
Do dress professionally, arrive early (or log in early if virtual), speak clearly and listen actively.
Don’ts:
Don’t give vague or generic answers; always give specific examples.
Don’t criticise previous employers or colleagues—focus on learning and positivity.
Don’t waffle or go off-topic; keep relevant to the question.
Don’t forget to demonstrate awareness of the Trust’s priorities (patient safety, efficiency, teamwork).
Don’t neglect to follow up with a thank-you note or email where appropriate.
Final encouragement:
You bring unique experience, enthusiasm and capability. By preparing these role-specific questions and answers, practising your delivery, aligning with the Trust’s values and demonstrating your readiness, you are well placed to succeed. Stay calm, be yourself, let your passion for healthcare shine through and remember: interviewers are looking for not just technical competency but compassion, reliability and a positive mindset.
If you’d like further tailored support, you have the opportunity to book an interview coaching appointment with me, Jerry Frempong. We’ll work together on your CV, interview technique, body language and personal presentation to maximise your chance of success at the Trust.
Good luck — go in with confidence, show what you offer, and let them see how you will contribute to the future of Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust.
