Post by Deborah Udy Okusaga Akanne (@deborah_udy_okusaga)
The Band 6 NHS Interview Question That Is Failing Physiotherapists, OTs, and AHPs Who Are Clinically Ready For The Role.
There is a question in every Band 6 NHS interview for physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, and AHPs that sounds deceptively simple.
"Tell us about your experience of clinical audit and how it has changed your practice."
And the internationally trained AHP — genuinely reflective, genuinely experienced — answers it the same way every time.
They describe audit participation.
They talk about collecting data. Reviewing records. Presenting findings.
The panel scores them a 2.
Here is why — and here is what a 4 looks like.
Clinical audit in the NHS is not a data collection exercise. It is a formal quality improvement mechanism that operates within a structured governance framework.
A complete audit answer has five components.
One. A named clinical question benchmarked against a documented standard — NICE guideline, RCSLT framework, CSP guidance, HCPC Standard. Not "we looked at patient outcomes." "We audited compliance with NICE NG193 on stroke rehabilitation against our departmental standard of 90% assessment within 48 hours of admission."
Two. A baseline measurement. Not "findings were mixed." A number. A percentage. A comparison against the standard.
Three. An implemented change. Not a recommendation. A change that actually happened. A new referral pathway. A revised SOP. A staff training session. A checklist.
Four. A re-audit demonstrating outcome improvement. This is the element most candidates omit. One cycle of data collection is not a completed audit. The panel knows this. A completed audit loop — baseline, change, re-measurement — is what scores a 3 or 4.
Five. The governance learning. What did the department change permanently as a result? This is where you signal that you understand audit as systemic improvement, not individual reflection.
That five-part answer is the difference between describing participation and demonstrating quality improvement leadership.
Which is exactly what a Band 6 AHP is expected to do from day one.
DM me "AUDIT" and I will send you the complete framework tailored to your specialty.
Post 4 drops at 2:00 PM — the one thing that decides your score before you answer a single question.
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