Dated and source-backed · September 2026
Current issues an O&G applicant should understand
Use a current issue to show that you understand patients, teams and systems. State what happened, why it matters to practice and one proportionate action; avoid generic NHS slogans.
National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation · 30 June 2026
The independent investigation made eight recommendations spanning national oversight, listening, response after harm, service standards, inequalities, governance, culture and estates or digital infrastructure. Candidate angle: connect safer care with reliable escalation, teamwork, learning and patient voice.
Nottingham Ockenden review · 24 June 2026
The final report examines maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals. Candidate angle: discuss how candour, records, leadership, multidisciplinary challenge and sustained implementation matter after serious harm.
Maternal mortality and unequal outcomes · 2022–24 data
MBRRACE-UK reports maternal mortality above the 2009–11 baseline, with marked differences by ethnicity and deprivation. Candidate angle: recognise risk early, listen to concern, use interpreters and address pathway barriers rather than treating inequality as an abstract statistic.
Training workload and access · RCOG 2025 analysis
RCOG reported high work intensity, morning exhaustion and concerns about curriculum demand, training access, work-life balance and culture. Candidate angle: safe rotas, protected learning, supervision and speaking-up systems affect both staff and patients.
Surgical skills training matrix pilot · August 2026
RCOG is piloting a surgical skills matrix to improve clarity and consistency in training. Candidate angle: capability progression needs deliberate supervision, feedback and equitable access to operating, not case counting alone.
From understanding to practice
Put this topic into an interview answer
Use Ethics & governance for original prompts and an answer structure relevant to this topic.
Explore O&G ST1 practiceExplore the Question bank and spoken practice coming at launch.Spoken practice is launching soon. Use the free questions and guides to start preparing now.
Sources