Aneez joined the trust on 1 April 2021 as non-executive director and is currently chair of the Quality and Performance Committee. Esmail is Emeritus Professor of General Practice at the University of Manchester. He has experience as a researcher, teacher, and clinician.

His research interests are focused on patient safety, burnout in healthcare professionals, inequalities in health, the organisation and delivery of health services and public health. He has published over 100 academic papers in these areas.

Aneez worked as the medical advisor to the appeal court judge who chaired the Shipman Inquiry between 2001-2005, and played a key role in developing the recommendations that resulted in significant changes on the reform of the General Medical Council, death certification and investigation, controlled drugs regulation and the regulation and revalidation of doctors.