How to Answer "Tell Us About a Mistake" in an NHS Interview

**TL;DR.** Mistake questions test professional maturity and patient safety culture. Panels want honesty, learning, and — crucially — evidence that you escalated and acted on the mistake appropriately. Never claim you have never made one.

Structure

• What happened (brief, factual, no dramatisation)
• What you did when you realised (escalation, datix, mitigation)
• What you learned personally
• What changed systemically

Worked answer (90 seconds)

*"Early in my second year post-registration I administered a patient's antihypertensive medication without checking that the parameters the doctor had set (hold if systolic < 100) had been met — her systolic had dropped to 92 and I gave it anyway. I noticed the error within fifteen minutes when I reviewed the chart for the next dose. I checked the patient — she was symptomatic mild dizziness — called the doctor immediately, documented the incident contemporaneously in the notes, raised a Datix, and stayed with her until her BP returned to baseline. In my reflection I identified that I'd become over-routinised with her medication round and had stopped actively checking the parameters. I changed my personal practice to re-check parameters every round, not just at induction. At the next team meeting I shared the case anonymously as a prompt for the team to do the same, and our ward manager added parameter review to the senior checklist. The incident taught me that rigour has to be re-earned every shift."*

Why this scores

• Honest and factual
• Immediate escalation and documentation
• Personal learning named explicitly
• Systemic change attributable to the learning

Common mistakes

• "I've never made a mistake" — not believable
• Naming a trivial mistake (forgot to send an email)
• Blaming systems or colleagues without accepting responsibility
• Skipping the systemic outcome

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