Congratulations to Haris Sultan on becoming a Non-Executive Director at Wirral University Teaching Hospital and Wirral Community Health and Care. Currently in Year 4 of the MBChB programme here at Liverpool, Haris shares what he hopes to bring to the role and reflects on his journey to this record-breaking appointment.
Hello, my name is Haris! I’m from West Yorkshire and I currently serve as the youngest Non-Executive Director in the NHS, sitting on the Boards of Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust. Alongside this, I am a fourth-year medical student.
I chose to pursue medicine because I believe everyone regardless of background deserves compassionate, high-quality healthcare. Innovation sits at the heart of my journey: I’m motivated by how fresh thinking, transformation and new models of care can reduce inequalities, empower patients and build a more sustainable NHS for future generations. That principle has shaped both my clinical path and my commitment to public service.
What is a Non-Executive Director?
This is the question I get asked the most. On an NHS Board, which is responsible for leading and overseeing an NHS Trust, you have two types of directors: Executive Directors and Non-Executive Directors. Executives such as the Chief Executive, Medical Director and Chief Finance Officer run the organisation day-to-day.
A Non-Executive Director (NED), however, does not manage operations. Instead, our role is to provide independent oversight, challenge and support. We hold the executives to account, scrutinise decisions, set the strategy, and ensure the organisation is well-led, financially responsible and delivering safe, high-quality care. In short, executives run the service; NEDs make sure it is run properly, ethically and in the best interests of patients.
Haris with Amanda Pritchard and Ruth May (CEO and CNO of NHS England)
What does it mean to you to be the UK’s youngest 'NED'?
I remember reading that, in 2017, the average age of a Non-Executive Director was around 60. So being the youngest NED in the NHS is both a privilege and a responsibility and at times it still doesn’t feel real. For me, it’s about bringing a fresh perspective to a system that cares for millions, and proving that curiosity, untraditional experience and courage can be just as valuable as decades of seniority.
My age has never been the focus. What matters is using that vantage point to challenge complacency, champion prevention and innovation, and ensure the voices of future generations are not an afterthought in today’s decisions.
It also means redefining what leadership in the NHS can look like. I believe boards should reflect the diversity, energy and realities of the populations they serve. Ultimately, the NHS belongs not to any one generation, but to all of us and being its youngest NED is a constant reminder that we must lead not only for today, but for the system we will hand over tomorrow.
I am humbled that some of this work has been recognised nationally, such as receiving the Future Leader Award at the National BAME Health & Care Awards and being named among the Top 50 Most Influential Muslims in Europe. But the real reward is when my friends and family are proud of me.
Haris speaking at NHS Confed Expo about changing leadership
Looking back now, what were the key stepping stones that got you there?
I wouldn’t describe my journey as a series of neat stepping stones I’m a strong believer that careers are rarely linear. They’re more like spaghetti: unpredictable, sometimes messy, and shaped by opportunities you never planned for. For me, what mattered wasn’t following a rigid path, but staying curious, saying yes to meaningful work, and being driven by purpose rather than position.
My journey began with a passion for patient and public involvement. I set up the Youth Board at Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust because I believed young people deserved a voice in shaping the services they use. That experience opened unexpected doors and set me on both a local and national trajectory. Locally, I applied to join the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Governing Body. Ironically, I didn’t get the role but instead became the Youth Representative, leading the development of the Leeds Youth Health and Social Care Charter. I was then appointed to the People’s Board of the West Yorkshire Integrated Care System. When ICBs were later formed, I was encouraged to apply as a Non-Executive Director. I wasn’t successful at 19 understandably, I didn’t yet have the governance experience but I was appointed as the country’s first Associate Non-Executive Director for Citizens and Future Generations, focusing on workforce, prevention, climate change and digital transformation. That role was a turning point.
At the same time, I became increasingly involved nationally. I co-authored a report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and led a national project on health inequalities. I was later appointed to the NHS England Children and Young People’s Programme Board, working on key initiatives including CORE20PLUS5. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I also advised the Minister for Vaccinations on how to effectively engage and vaccinate younger populations.
Today, I continue to work nationally through a range of advisory boards including the Oversight and Accountability Working Group for the NHS 10 Year Plan while serving on the Boards of Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust. Speaking at both national and international healthcare events.
These are the highlights when I look back and, in truth, it still surprises me how far that curiosity-driven journey has taken me.
If there is a lesson in it, it’s this: careers are made not by following a map, but by having the courage to move without one.
Haris in his Liverpool School of Medicine scrubs
What would your advice be to students who share your same interests and are keen to make an impact?
My biggest advice is simple: start before you feel ready. You don’t need a title, a position or permission to make a difference you just need purpose, consistency and the courage to take the first step. Too many talented people wait for the “perfect time,” when in reality, impact is built through small actions repeated over time.
Secondly, stay curious and say yes to meaningful opportunities, even if they sit slightly outside your comfort zone. Growth rarely happens in familiar places. Follow the work that energises you, not the work that simply looks good on paper.
Third, find your people. Seek out mentors, collaborate with others, and surround yourself with those who lift you higher. No one creates change alone your network will become your classroom, your sounding board and your support system.
Finally, stay humble, stay grounded, and remember who you’re doing it for. Whether it’s in healthcare, policy or leadership, impact is not about status it’s about service. If you keep patients, people and purpose at the centre, the rest has a way of falling into place. Congratulations again to you Haris, make us proud!