Guides · Updated 21 October 2026

How to write an NHS supporting statement

Write your NHS supporting statement against the person specification: structure, examples and common mistakes.

Most NHS applications on NHS Jobs and TRAC include a supporting information box. Shortlisting is usually done against the person specification for the post, so the job of your statement is to show, criterion by criterion, that you meet it.

1. Start from the person specification

Open the job description and person specification and list the essential criteria. These are the ones shortlisters normally check first. Note the desirable criteria separately.

Some criteria are marked as assessed by “application form”, others by “interview” or “test”. Prioritise the ones assessed on the application.

2. Use the criteria as your structure

Address the criteria in the same order as the person specification, using short headings or a clear opening sentence for each. This makes it easy for a shortlister to tick them off.

3. Give one real example per criterion

For each criterion, describe a specific situation: what you did and what happened as a result. A simple structure is STAR — Situation, Task, Action, Result (see our guide to competency questions). Keep the focus on your own actions.

• Weak: “I have excellent communication skills.”
• Stronger: “On a busy ward I handed over twelve patients each shift using SBAR, and introduced a written checklist that the team then adopted.”

4. Include the NHS values

Many trusts expect you to show how you reflect the NHS values or their own trust values. Check the trust’s website and refer to them through examples rather than repeating the words.

5. Keep to the limit and check it

• Stay within the character or word limit of the box.
• Check that every essential criterion assessed at application is covered.
• Avoid copying the same statement into every application — tailor it to each person specification.
• Write it in a document first and paste it in, so a timeout does not lose your work.