How long should an NHS supporting statement be?

The supporting statement (sometimes also known as supporting information or personal statement) is arguably the most important part of an NHS job application.

While your employment history and qualifications are likely to determine whether you are a realistic candidate to consider at all, your supporting statement is what the hiring manager will use to decide whether you are one of the handful of candidates being taken through to interview.

Your supporting statement needs to show the hiring manager that you understand the job that you are applying for, explain (with examples) how your skills and experience match the key elements of the job description, and get across your enthusiasm for the job.

While there is no “one size fits all” answer to the question of how long your supporting statement should be, our team of experienced NHS managers do have some advice on finding the right length to ensure your application scores well.

Do I need to use all 1500 words allowed?

Many NHS job application platforms have a maximum word limit of 1500 words for the supporting statement section. In practice, very few applications are likely to need all 1500 words – with the exception being the most senior managerial jobs.

In most cases, it is perfectly possible to write a memorable personal statement which demonstrates why you are good fit for the job in around 500-800 words – which is two or three pages of typed A4 paper. For more senior roles (Band 7 and above), 800 words is usually more appropriate.

Making your personal statement longer than it needs to be is unlikely to impress the hiring managers scoring your application. In fact, given they are likely to be reviewing several hundred applications, it is more likely to annoy them. Remember that being able to be clear and concise in how you communicate is an important skill in busy NHS organisations.

How short is too short?

A supporting statement that is only two or three sentences long will guarantee you won’t be invited to interview, regardless of how good the rest of your application is. Competition for NHS jobs is fierce and an overly short supporting statement indicates you can’t be bothered to put any effort in to what should be an important task.

Even if you’re applying for a junior role and don’t have much work experience, spending at least 250-300 words talking about why you are interested in the role and your personal characteristics is important. Don’t waste one of your few opportunities to stand out from the crowd!

Can I use bullet points in my NHS supporting statement?

There’s no rule against using bullet points to help structure your personal statement.

From a reviewer’s perspective, a personal statement that is written completely in bullet points – highlighting each point of the person specification and then explaining how you meet that criteria – can be a bit dull to read. If you’re applying for a senior role, or a role needing creativity or written communication skills, it might not be the best idea.

One option can be mixing some narrative paragraphs with bullet points. For example, you might want to open with some short paragraphs explaining your passion for working in the NHS, and then transition to bullet points to cover off more straightforward requirements listed in the person specification.