Tom Sara joins CF’s health systems team as director

Tom Sara has joined CF as a director in its health systems practice, with a focus on digital and data transformation. Speaking on the move, Sara said he is “excited to collaborate” with the CF team, and to contributing to tackling “the complex challenges facing the NHS”.

After hitting historic highs, the NHS waiting list has declined slowly over the past year, falling to 7.40 million people in January 2025, according to the latest data from NHS England. But the government’s plans for the institution, which still faces significant staff shortfalls, present a major challenge to that progress.

Labour’s radical overhaul of the NHS has seen the government announce it will abolish the body of NHS England. Coupled with unprecedented cost-cutting elsewhere, it is now expected that the number of lost posts will soar reach between 20,000 and 30,000.

Before joining CF, Tom worked with the NHS, the Department of Health and Ageing in Australia and the Ministry of Health in Singapore across all phases of the project delivery lifecycle. With CF’s clients in the health system facing huge transformations in their work, this experience will be vital to helping them adapt.

Meanwhile, within the consulting industry, Tom has deployed software modules in large Acute Trusts, worked on national healthcare strategy, and developed nationwide healthcare portals. He was also the chief operating officer for a digital healthcare startup and director of digital engagement at GSK, where he transformed how GSK conducts clinical trials using digital channels. 

Commenting on his appointment, Tom stated, "I am delighted to be starting at CF. My experience aligns well with the ambitions of the health systems business. I was particularly drawn to CF as they are renowned as a team of doers who make a difference in everything they undertake. It is exciting to be part of an organisation that is not afraid to tackle complex challenges and is passionate about and dedicated to improving healthcare for all." 

Catherine Skilton, managing partner of health systems for CF, said that Tom is “a well-regarded leader in healthcare digital and data transformation”. According to her, his experience spanning the NHS, life sciences and international health systems “aligns perfectly with CF’s mission to drive sustainable, data-led transformation.”

Skilton concluded, “I am delighted that Tom is joining CF. His experience as a digital leader and as a management consultant will be instrumental as we continue to expand CF’s services across the health sector.  Data, digital and AI have the potential to deliver exponential change by enabling better engagement of the population and augmenting the efficiency of clinicians and managers alike. Tom will bring additional expertise to our clients in driving this agenda, including through our role in supporting adoption of the Federated Data Platform.”