For many applicants chasing NHS roles in the UK, rejection emails can feel deeply personal.

You prepare. You rehearse. You study the person specification. You leave the interview thinking, “I nailed that.” Then the email arrives: “Unfortunately…”

But as one NHS staff member, Ifedayo Johnson, recently shared, the story behind some recruitment decisions is often more complex than candidates realise.

The Interview That Didn’t Result in a Job
Johnson recounts how he once attended his first #NHS interview and was later told he had performed best. However, the role was offered to someone who had already been working bank shifts with the team for six months.

According to him, the recruiting manager phoned personally to explain. She reportedly apologised and said she would try to bring him in as bank staff instead.

Weeks later, an internal secondment opened a temporary gap. Johnson was called back, registered, and trained. Two months into the bank role, a permanent vacancy emerged after a staff member resigned. He applied again — and this time secured the permanent position.

His reflection was blunt:
His story struck a chord across NHS professionals and job seekers.

“Internal Applicants Are Often Prioritised”
Several respondents echoed similar experiences.

Shuaib Olorunnisola Azeez said he once received feedback that he was “exceptional” but lost out to someone who had previously worked in a similar role. He noted that NHS trusts often transition bank staff into permanent roles because onboarding is smoother and less resource-intensive.

Sherry Rahman added that internal applicants are typically prioritised:
“Network within your organisation… if it’s a good place, you can move to another role, as a promotion or even laterally.”

Others confirmed seeing vacancies advertised externally only for the roles to be filled by existing staff on secondment.

Kunle Fakorede described an intense two-hour interview process, only to later discover both roles he applied for were eventually given as internal secondments.

“A whole lot happen behind the scene. Most times, you are not the problem,” wrote Mgbejiofor, who said a role he interviewed for remained advertised online for over a year despite being told it had been filled.

The “Strong Candidate” Explanation
Jane shared that after what she believed was a strong interview for a management accountant position, she was told another candidate was “stronger.”

Others reported being told they were the “best candidate of the day” — yet the job still went to someone with prior NHS experience.

Iam_mayorkush recounted driving from Liverpool to Derby for an interview, only to be told on the journey home that the successful candidate already had NHS experience.

Just_dayo described being praised extensively by interviewers, only to later learn internally that the position had effectively been reserved.

Bank Staff Advantage and Secondments
Multiple contributors highlighted a structural reality within NHS recruitment:
- Bank staff are already known quantities.
- Internal secondments reduce onboarding time.
- Teams may favour familiar candidates to maintain continuity.

Tobi Osinaya summarised it directly:

Olukayode added that his wife was once informed that a vacancy had been taken internally — but was later offered another role when someone else moved internally.

The pattern suggests a circular movement within the system, where opportunities shift internally before settling.

Is Every Vacancy Truly Open?
One contributor, Olatunji Awe, alleged that some roles may be advertised primarily to demonstrate active recruitment efforts, particularly in contexts involving sponsorship or regulatory requirements.

While such claims are difficult to verify universally, they reflect a growing perception among applicants that not all advertised roles are genuinely “open competitions.”

The Emotional Toll on Applicants
Beyond process mechanics, the psychological impact is significant.
Tofunmi admitted she began doubting her intelligence after repeated rejections before learning more about how UK recruitment systems operate.

Teejay described the confusion of previously passing an interview for a role he later declined, only to be rejected when applying again years later.

The recurring theme was not incompetence — but context.

A System of Design, Not Always Personal Failure
Recruitment within large public systems like the NHS operates under structured policies:
- Equality and transparency requirements
- Internal mobility frameworks
- Budget constraints
- Secondment pathways
- Bank-to-permanent transitions

From a governance perspective, these mechanisms are procedural. From an applicant’s perspective, they can feel opaque.

Johnson concluded his story with humour, suggesting that without the manager’s transparency, he might have assumed he needed to purchase application guides.
He added:

What This Means for Job Seekers
For those navigating NHS applications, the stories suggest several practical realities:
- Internal candidates often have structural advantages.
- Bank roles can be strategic entry points.
- Strong interviews do not always translate to immediate offers.
- Rejection does not automatically mean poor performance.

The broader takeaway from dozens of responses was consistent:
Sometimes the system is the variable — not you.