There are six core NHS values which guide the organisation and its workforce. These core values are; working together for patients, respect and dignity, commitment to quality of care, compassion, improving lives, and everyone counts. Everyone that works in the NHS is expected to display these values, whether you are a chief executive, paramedic, consultant, porter, or healthcare assistant.
So, what are values exactly and how do they come into study and careers?
A value is a belief or outlook that is important to a person or group of people. Values inform how we all act and the decisions we make – If you’re reading this, ‘being curious’ is probably one of your values!
Values based recruitment (VBR) is an approach aimed at attracting and recruiting students, trainees and employees on the basis that their individual values and behaviours align with the values of the NHS Constitution. To find out more about each of the six core NHS values, head over to our activities page where you can explore what each value might mean to you.
All Higher Education Institutions are required to follow Health Education England's national VBR framework. This ensures that all students recruited to NHS funded training programmes embody each of these six values. The framework is also encouraged for NHS job roles.
Understanding the framework that HE institutions follow when seeking out future students will help prepare you for your own application journey.
Institutions don’t necessarily have to use the exact words of the ‘core NHS values’ as long as the meaning of their values are the same. For example, successful Nursing or Midwifery students might be assessed in line with ‘The 6 C’s – Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage, Commitment.
Have a look at the NHS core values - What are some other words you might use to describe them?
Involving patients and members of the public is a key part to any recruitment within the NHS – after all, these are the people that healthcare students and professionals are working with!
For example, University of Huddersfield have previously set up workstations for patients to ask questions during candidate assessments. Similarly, Sheffield Hallam University have asked service users to write a script for videos to be played for candidates during an interview.
Communication is a key part of any healthcare role so being demonstrate your enthusiasm in person is essential!
Potential healthcare students will be invited to have a 1:1 in-person (or video call) structured interview – This means that there will be a set of pre-written questions and a scoring criteria that will be the same for everyone.
This interview might take place as part of another selection process: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) – A series of independent stations that candidates go between to have a quick usually more specific interview – perhaps assessing one value each. Selection Centre – A space to complete a series of exercises such as roleplay activities and written workbooks Situational Judgement Test (SJT) - In an SJT, test-takers are presented with written or video-based demonstrations of invented scenarios and asked to identify an appropriate response from a series of options.
If you don’t get selected after the screening phase and are missing the offer you were planning on – this isn’t the end! All candidates that don’t make it past the screening phase can request feedback on their demonstration of relevant skills and values. This is a great opportunity to learn from these experiences and strengthen future applications
To find out more about alternatives if you don’t get the university offer you want, head to UCAS to learn about ‘clearing’ and other options.
Commitment to Quality of Care
Throughout the NHS, staff and patients collaborate to ensure that patients receive the highest quality of care possible. This core value means that continuous feedback and evaluation is necessary to ensure that any and all improvements can be made.
Treating individual patients, carers and relatives with sensitivity and kindness is a core NHS Value. This means NHS staff will search for things they can do, however small, to give comfort and relieve suffering. Equally, NHS staff should also expect to work in an environment that is compassionate and inclusive.
Resources should be fairly distributed and no one is discriminated against or left behind to ensure NHS services are maximised for the benefit of everyone. This is a core NHS value and guides work and decision making.
The NHS ensures that patient’s receive treatment that prioritises their health and wellbeing in all aspects of their life. This core NHS value means considering physical and mental wellbeing alongside they’re ability to carry out daily activities. As part of this commitment, the NHS also provides health information and promotes healthy living to the public as a whole.
Every person that comes into contact with the NHS should always be treated with respect and dignity. This core value involves respecting everyone’s personal aspirations, needs and privacy as well as promoting equality and diversity in the workplace.
The NHS is built on the importance of all staff working together to provide reliable, compassionate care for all patients. This core value means putting patient interests first - above any institutional interests and boundaries.
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