Post by Deborah Udy Okusaga Akanne (@deborah_udy_okusaga)
"I would assess the workload, identify the tasks, and assign them to the appropriate staff members based on their competency."
A solid answer. Also, quietly, a Band 5 one.
The panel isn't marking it wrong. They're marking it incomplete, in the exact way that reveals the candidate hasn't yet developed a Band 6 understanding of what delegation actually is.
Here's what's missing. Delegation in the NHS isn't task assignment. It's a clinical and professional act governed by the NMC Code, and getting it wrong isn't an organisational failure, it's a professional one. The Code is explicit: you remain accountable for your decisions to delegate tasks to others. Hand a task to a healthcare assistant or a student nurse, and if it goes wrong, "I told them to do it" is not a defence. You're accountable for confirming they had the competency to do it safely in the first place.
That's what the panel actually wants to hear, not the mechanics, the accountability framework underneath them.
Five components make a genuinely Band 6 delegation answer.
Right task: is this within the delegate's scope, or does it require registered judgement I shouldn't hand off?
Right person: matched to demonstrated competency, not assumed from their grade.
Right communication: clear instructions, a timeframe, and asking them to confirm back what they're going to do.
Right supervision: staying accessible, checking in at agreed points, never building a culture where junior staff are afraid to escalate.
Right accountability: verifying the outcome afterwards, and if something went wrong, owning the delegation decision rather than blaming the person you delegated to.
That's the difference between task management and professional responsibility. And it's exactly what Band 6 looks like.
Have you ever delegated something that didn't go as expected? What happened? Your honest answer might be exactly what someone else needs to read today.
5PM: the one answer framework that works for every leadership and management question, at every band, for the rest of your NHS career.
Sources: Nursing and Midwifery Council, The Code.
#DelegationSuccess #NMCCode #NHSInterview2026 #Band6NHS #Band7NHS #PatientSafety #InternationalNurseUK #IMGDoctor #SovereignHealthcareAdvisoryGroup
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