A 55-year-old man with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, fully conscious and oriented, calmly tells you he does not want surgery. He says he has "lived long enough" and that his wife died last year. The vascular surgeon is standing by. The patient will die without an operation. What do you do?

Tips to guide your answer

- This tests your understanding of capacity and the right of a competent adult to refuse life-saving treatment, even when the decision appears irrational to the clinical team.

- Interviewers want to see that you can assess capacity rigorously, that you explore whether the refusal is driven by a treatable condition (such as depression), that you provide all relevant information without being coercive, and that ultimately you respect the patient's autonomous decision.

- This scenario is particularly challenging because the bereavement context may suggest depression, and the time pressure of a ruptured AAA limits the time available for deliberation.

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How to approach this Shared interview question

This ethics question is common in NHS interviews because it reveals how you think under interview pressure, not just what facts you can recall. Use "A 55-year-old man with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, fully conscious and..." as the anchor for a concise answer with a clear opening, a clinical or professional structure, and a reflective close.

What the panel is testing

A strong ethics answer makes the competing duties visible. Name the principle or legal issue, then describe the practical steps you would take in the hospital: gather facts, assess capacity where relevant, seek advice, document, and protect the patient. For shared NHS interview questions, keep the answer portable across roles. Use one relevant example, explain your reasoning, and make the link to safe patient care explicit.

Identify the ethical tension before jumping to a decision: capacity, consent, confidentiality, best interests, or law.
Use local policy and senior advice, and be explicit about safeguarding or immediate patient-safety concerns.
Balance respect for autonomy with professional duties, documentation, and clear communication.

How to structure your answer

For a ethics prompt, aim for a short opening sentence, then two or three evidence-led points, then a final reflection. If you use STAR, keep the result and reflection as strong as the situation. If it is a clinical scenario, say what you would do now, what you would do next, and how you would keep the patient safe while help is coming.

Open by naming the main issue in the question.
Give a structured response rather than a memorised script.
End with escalation, documentation, learning, or follow-up.

Common mistakes to avoid

The weakest answers usually stay too vague, ignore the specific role, or miss the safety issue hidden in the question. Do not use this page to memorise a perfect paragraph. Use it to rehearse the shape of a safe answer, then adapt it to your own experience and the post you are applying for.

This tests your understanding of capacity and the right of a competent adult to refuse life-saving treatment, even when the decision appears irrational to the clinical team.
Interviewers want to see that you can assess capacity rigorously, that you explore whether the refusal is driven by a treatable condition (such as depression), that you provide all relevant information without being coercive, and that ultimately you respect the patient's autonomous decision.
This scenario is particularly challenging because the bereavement context may suggest depression, and the time pressure of a ruptured AAA limits the time available for deliberation.