Bill Gunnyeon, DWP Chief Medical Adviser.

GEOFFREY REYNOLDS made this Freedom of Information request to Department for Work and Pensions This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Department for Work and Pensions should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,
Could you please tell me if BILL GUNNYEON, Chief medical advisor to the DWP and also a Medical Director of Capita Healthcare, has registered a "conflict of interest".
How many times did Bill Gunnyeon meet with Gordon Waddell and Mansel Aylward prior to the ATOS contract to undertake ESA examinations on behalf of DWP?
Furthermore, will Bill Gunnyeon be receiving any form of remuneration or reward, given that attractive contracts have been allocated to both, Capita and ATOS.

Yours faithfully,
GEOFFREY REYNOLDS

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Employment History

Chief Medical Officer
DWP
Chief Medical Adviser
DWP
Chief Medical Adviser, Medical Director and Chief Scientist To the Department
Work and Pensions
Director for Health, Chief Medical Advisor, Department
Work and Pensions
Chief Medical Officer for the Department
Work and Pensions
Director for Health Work
The Westminster Business Forum
President
Faculty of Occupational Medicine
Director for Health Work
Department
Director for Health
GovNet Communications
Chair
Association of Local Authority Medical Advisers
Medical Director
Capita Health Solutions Ltd
Director of Health Services
Capita Health Solutions Ltd

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Dr Bill Gunnyeon, the Department for Work and Pensions Chief Medical Adviser, is pleased to invite you to attend an evening update for key stakeholders;

Improving health and work: changing lives – one year on

At the Royal Society of Medicine, Wimpole Street, London W1G 0AE

Wednesday 20th January 2010 5.00 for 5.30pm

The Government’s response to the Black review into the health of working age people was published in November 2008. This event aims to provide a brief update on the progress made over the past year with the programme of work outlined in that response. In addition we will have a presentation from Gordon Waddell and Mansel Aylward to mark the publication of a new edition of their book ‘Models of Sickness and Disability’. First published in 2002 this has been revised in the light of recent evidence.

The provisional agenda:

17.00 Arrival, refreshments

17.30 Welcome and introduction Bill Gunnyeon

17.40 Response to Black – an update Bill Gunnyeon and team

18.20 ‘Models of sickness and disability’– what’s new? Gordon Waddell/ Sir Mansel Aylward

18.50 Reflections Dame Carol Black

19.00- 19.30 Refreshments, opportunity for networking

A copy of the new publication ‘Models of Sickness and Disability’ will be available for all attendees.

________________________________________________________________

RSVP

ann.newman@dwp.gsi.gov.uk 0207 449 5596
jacky.marlow@dwp.gsi.gov.uk 0207 449 5601

By Friday 15 January 2010
The Royal Society of Medicine
1 Wimpole Street
London W1G 0AE
 
View a scalable map on the Multimap website.
By London Underground
Nearest stations: Central and Jubilee lines to Bond Street (Less than 10 minutes walk) or Victoria, Bakerloo and Central lines Oxford Circus (Less than 10 minutes walk).
By bus
Nearest bus routes: 6, 7, 10, 13, 15, 23, 25, 30, 55, 73, 94, 98, 113, 137, 139, 159, 175, 189, 274, 390 are all within walking distance to the RSM.
By car
The RSM is in the congestion charging zone. Wimpole Street is a one-way street, approached from Henrietta Place.
Parking near the RSM
Car parks are located in Cavendish Square and Marylebone Lane, both five minutes walk away.
For more information visit the City of Westminster website.
By foot
1 Wimpole Street is located behind House of Fraser, off Oxford Street.
Chandos House is located off Cavendish Square, within a few minutes' walk of the main RSM building.
Travelling in London www.tfl.gov.uk.

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Bill Gunnyeon said:

"I am delighted to be joining the Department and very much looking forward to the challenges and opportunities which lie ahead. I will be seeking to build on the outstanding work of Professor Aylward, who has made such a valuable contribution to the Department's achievements and whom I feel privileged to be succeeding."

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London 2012.
The 6th International Forum on Disability Management was chaired by two of the worlds leaders on the "good work is good for you" movement,Professors Dame Carol Black and Sir Mansel Aylward.The UK movement is going gang busters. Dr Bill Gunnyeon, Chief Medical Adviser and Director for Health and Wellbeing at the DWP,described how their surveys of GPs attitudes has shown a remarkable turnaround, with most GPs now agreeing work is beneficial for health, and around two thirds agreeing that GPs have a role in getting people back to work.

GEOFFREY REYNOLDS (Account suspended) left an annotation ()

It does not take much imagination to realize how the connivance of a handful of able bodied, in the pursuit of personal gain, can inflict total misery on the many, who are disabled, often ending in suicide.....
Evil has many faces, but those who persecute the weakest, wear the mask perfectly.

GEOFFREY REYNOLDS (Account suspended) left an annotation ()

Losing the benefit crutch
Source:Occupational Health Date:01-09-2005 Type:commentary and analysis

But, as Dr Bill Gunnyeon, former president of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, pointed out in May, occupational medicine will need to broaden its horizons to address not only the health needs of people at work, but those of the working age population as a whole. Anything that helps people who have been ill to get back into work would be broadly welcomed by OH professionals, argues Dr Barbara Kneale, occupational health and safety advisor at car manufacturer Peugeot Citron in Coventry.

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TAEN CONFERENCE, Sponsored by UNUM, London 29th oct 2008.

Among the morning speakers were; Dr Bill GUNNYEON (DWP)......

Professor Michael ODONNELL, UNUM Chief Medical Officer...

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Commenting on the development of the guidance, Dr Bill Gunnyeon, Chief Medical Adviser at DWP said:

"From the outset, the development of the fit note has been a collaborative effort. It demonstrates what can be achieved when Government, healthcare professionals, employers and other key stakeholders work closely together towards a common goal. We need to continue this good work once the fit note is in place to ensure it delivers the benefits it should for individuals, employers and GPs."

The new guidance has been created by the Department for Work and Pensions with the Royal College of General Practitioners, British Medical Association, CBI, Acas, Federation of Small Businesses, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Association of British Insurers, British Retail Consortium and EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation. The fit note reflects medical evidence that work is generally good for health and well-being and can aid recovery for many health conditions.

Making simple, practical adjustments to help people back to work at an earlier stage will benefit both the employer and the employee. This will prevent long-term sickness absences and will also ensure employers do not lose the expertise of their staff.

Dame Carol Black, National Director for Health and Work said:

"Work plays a significant role in determining a person’s health. The fit note is a hugely important development which means that GPs will be encouraged to think about their patient’s ability to work and provide more helpful information to patients to discuss with their employer. This is why the fit note is a win-win for both employees and employers."

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Dr Gunnyeon: I do not have the breakdown. What I know is that between March and July of this year, some 706 claimants asked for audio recording, which is significantly less than 1% of all facetoface assessments. I do not, however, have a breakdown of new claims versus IB reassessment cases. We can see if we have that information.

Chair: It may only be 1% but 700 is a lot of people.

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Association of British Insurers in partnership with UNUM and AXA PPP Healthcare.

BUILDING A RESILIENT WORKFORCE

Dialogue panel includes;

Dame Carol Black
James McGarry CEO UNUM
Bill Gunnyeon CBE (DWP)

GEOFFREY REYNOLDS (Account suspended) left an annotation ()

Unum has been lobbying, sitting on expert groups and hosting meetings at party conferences of all colours ever since. And lo and behold, in May this year, Unum’s then medical officer Prof Michael O’Donnell jumped ship to become chief medical officer at Atos. He barely had time to catch his breath before giving evidence to the Commons committee looking at the welfare reform bill.

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Silver Jubilee Business Dinner 4TH DEC 2003

Aboard Royal Yacht BRITTANNIA, Edinburgh
GUESTS INCLUDE;

BILL GUNNYEON
MANSEL AYLWARD

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Health and Wellbeing at Work Conference
5-6 march 2013
Venue; NEC Birmingham

Speakers include;

Dame Carol Black

Bill Gunnyeon CBE

Professor Sir Mansel Aylward

SUPPORTED BY ATOS HEALTHCARE

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Dame Carol Black

Chief medical adviser warns that funding requests will be challenged

A tax break for companies that fund interventions to get absent employees back to work will be considered by the Government, but much work needs to be done to analyse its implications.

This was the message from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to insurers, healthcare professionals and employer representatives at the Association of British Insurers this morning.

"Any conference I have been to, it [removing tax disincentives to fund healthcare] is one of the things that employers have consistently raised and I understand that," said Dr Bill Gunnyeon, chief medical adviser at the DWP. "But I'm not making any promises."

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Source:Occupational Health Date:01-07-2005 Type:news

Dr Bill Gunnyeon stood down in May after three years as head of the faculty to became chief medical adviser at the Department for Work and Pensions, where he will play a key role in plans to get millions of people off incapacity benefit and back into work. The role and importance of work in the lives of people and the interaction between health and work now has a profile and a focus that it has never had before, and our specialty encompasses a unique set of skills and experience that can make a significant contribution to this agenda," Gunnyeon added.

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Simon Burns (Minister of State (Health), Health; Chelmsford, Conservative)

We are not aware of any meetings between officials and UNUM. However, Dame Carol Black, expert adviser on health and work to the Department, met them on three occasions in January 2012 to discuss the positive relationship between work and health.

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Commenting, Professor Michael O’Donnell, Chief Medical Officer at Unum said:

“Dame Carol Black’s ‘fit note’ will be a major step forward in addressing attitudes towards sickness and the sooner we can introduce it, the better. Changing the mindset and therefore attitudes is the critical first step in bringing about a real and effective change in approach by all parties.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Two years of detailed research has drawn to a natural conclusion with the exposure of two memorandums by Unum Provident Insurance, to the Work & Pensions Select committee, dated 2002 and 2006.

Whilst government rhetoric continues to suggest concern for people left on disability benefit for years, and the 'opportunities' available for the long-term sick and disabled population once removed from long-term benefit and directed into work, detailed evidence from the President of the Appeal Tribunals and all the national welfare charities have been consistently overlooked by successive governments. These planned welfare reforms are mainly a cost cutting initiative, by successive governments since 1994, as the UK moves ever closer to the American style healthcare system funded by insurance.

Unum Provident Insurance, now known as Unum Insurance following yet another name change, have a notorious reputation in the US and were identified as "an outlaw company" in 2005 and, by 2007, they were identified as the 2nd worst insurance company in the entire United States. This then begs the obvious question as to why the UK government have been in partnership with this discredited corporate giant since 1994?

The evidence exposed within this research is cause for serious concern.

The promotion of an unelected government adviser to ministerial office, with apparent unlimited authority to destroy the UK welfare service whilst masquerading as reform, should be challenged when the Minister's experience is in finance, not welfare.

The only priority is a cost reduction, with no concern for the stress and distress caused using an assessment system that's identified as being unfit for purpose, and with the latest proposal to remove benefits from claimants if they choose to challenge the Atos medical assessment via the appeals service. Given that the appeals service is close to collapse, with claimants waiting up to 12 months for an appeal, the latest suggestion is that benefit will be removed until after the appeal decision.

This latest threat is used by an unelected government Minister, as a form of intimidation against the most vulnerable in society, to guarantee a reduction in the numbers of appeals that generate a 70% success rate when the claimant has representation. How much more evidence is needed before the assessment system, funded at a cost of £100million per annum, is confirmed as being totally compromised and unacceptable? Yet, the Atos contract has just been extended for three years…..

The identified medical tyranny of the totally compromised medical assessment system, as conducted by Atos Healthcare, will now be supported by enforced poverty to dramatically increase the fear and anxiety of all chronically sick and permanently disabled people who are at the mercy of the State when forced to depend on welfare payments.

Why is this tyranny permitted in 21st Century UK?

Mrs S..., Retired healthcare professional

5th December 2011

GEOFFREY REYNOLDS (Account suspended) left an annotation ()

With so much blood on your hands you would be better equipped running an abattoir......

RUNNING A DISABILITY DENIAL FACTORY WILL PROVE TO BE YOUR DOWNFALL......

YOU CAN BEND, TWIST AND DISTORT THE LAWS TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS, BUT WHEN THE DEATH TOLL KEEPS RACKING UP, AS IT IS DOING DAILY, YOU ARE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE..

Link to this

DWP LS FOI, Department for Work and Pensions

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Reynolds

Please find attached response to your recent FOI request.

<<Response FOI 680.pdf>>

Regards

DWP Central FOI Team

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The Department for Work and Pensions announces today the appointment of Dr Bill Gunnyeon as Chief Medical Adviser, Medical Director and Chief Scientist to the Department for Work and Pensions.

Currently Medical Director of Capita Health Solutions and President of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, Dr Gunnyeon will take up post on 1st June 2005.

He succeeds Professor Mansel Aylward CB who is retiring from the Department at the end of April to take up post as Chair in Psychosocial and Disability Research at Cardiff University and Director of the new UnumProvident Centre at the University. He will also chair the newly established Wales Centre for Health which will lead on improvements in the nation's health.

Richard Mottram, Permanent Secretary commented:

"Dr Gunnyeon will be taking on an exciting and challenging welfare reform agenda which will be delivered at the same time as a wholesale modernisation of all our businesses and IT systems. He will bring a wealth of broad-based occupational health experience in both the public and private sectors. I very much look forward to working with him."

Bill Gunnyeon said:

"I am delighted to be joining the Department and very much looking forward to the challenges and opportunities which lie ahead. I will be seeking to build on the outstanding work of Professor Aylward, who has made such a valuable contribution to the Department's achievements and whom I feel privileged to be succeeding."

Notes to Editors

1. Doctor Bill Gunnyeon FRCP, FFOM, FRCGP, DIH, age 51, was educated at the University of Dundee. Prior to joining Capita Health Solutions he was Director of Health Services at Aon Health Solutions and Chief Executive and Director of Occupational Health at Liberty Occupational Health Limited. He previously worked in a range of senior Occupational Health roles at Grampian Regional Council and at OMS Limited having started his career as a medical officer with the Royal Air Force. 2. Dr Gunnyeon's current professional appointments include President of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, Member of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Member of the Specialist Training Authority and Member of Council, Royal College of Physicians of London.

3. He will act as Chief Medical Adviser and Chief Scientific Adviser to Ministers and to the Department including its Executive Agencies on all aspects of social security, employment and related issues requiring medical input, advice and evidence-based scientific opinion. As Medical Director he will manage the Corporate Medical Group and ensure that medical quality and professional standards are set for and achieved by all doctors and healthcare professionals employed by the Department.

4. Dr Gunnyeon's appointment follows an open competition. As for other competitions for posts at this level, the appointment has been approved by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

5. Professor Mansel Aylward CB MD FRCP FFOM FFPM joined the Civil Service in 1985 and has been in his present post for almost nine years. He has led the Corporate Medical Group on the Government's Welfare Reform initiatives and has played a key role in the development and evaluation of the medical assessment for incapacity (the All Work Test). He has also made a major contribution in establishing the new postgraduate diploma for doctors in Disability Assessment Medicine.

6. Professor Aylward was closely involved in developing the UK's successful "Pathways to Work" initiatives and a framework for Vocational Rehabilitation. He will be taking up the post of Chair in Psychosocial and Disability Research at Cardiff University and will be Director of the new UnumProvident Centre at the University. He is a visiting Professor at Harvard University and from May 2005 he will take up the Chair of Wales Centre for Health, a new body established by the Welsh Assembly Government, to lead improvements in the nation's health.

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GEOFFREY REYNOLDS (Account suspended) left an annotation ()

One other piece of evidence is clinching. When Atos work for other employers like the Royal Mail or the NHS, their decisions about unfitness for work are wholly different. That points ineluctably to the real truth, as I said at the end of the debate, that DWP are quite ready to accept, even require, this inhumanity if it is the only means to get 1.6 million disabled persons off Incapacity Benefit. The evil is not Atos – I make no excuse for them whatsoever since they could, and certainly should, walk away from so brutal and dehumanising a contract – but the real evil is the DWP (and no doubt the Treasury behind them) and the Ministerial instructions that set up this system – the descriptors, the regulations, the guidance, and all the rest. In fact in Kettering Atos have implemented all Harrington’s proposals and the accuracy of assessment is almost 100%, but it means only doing 4 assessments a day and DWP insists on 11.

GEOFFREY REYNOLDS (Account suspended) left an annotation ()

The decline in living standards in the uk, the introduction to poverty and the statistics to more than prove, suicide rates are spiralling, are the brainchild of one twisted individual, BILL GUNNYEON.

GUNNYEON is the faceless one who hides behind his position of Chief Medical Officer of the DWP.

Bolstered by donations from the Insurance Industry, (of which Gunnyeon and his chums are honoured speakers), our government have set out on a path of Welfare Reforms that deny the very poorest in society, especially the disabled.

Each piece of legislation bears the hallmarks of this modern day “Angel of Death”.
Every item of denial of benefit carries his endorsement. To him you are just superfluous to a life in this day and age, hence the corrupted, twisted policies that he underwrites……

History has told us that behind every fanatical leader, there is always a minion lapping at their heels to gain some kind of recognition. They are usually hated by most because they recognise the level of toadying as dangerous.

Obviously, the aforementioned is more than dangerous. His elevation to the dizzy heights of his title has underpinned his craving to take away life…..

His dark thoughts from childhood now manifest themselves in legislation, in effect removal by statute.

What i cannot understand is why he pursued his career on the grounds of helping disabled, yet abuses his position by demonising them…………..

Maybe he has a psychological problem that has not been detected. I wonder if ATOS software that he helped to build, could identify his problem? I seriously doubt it because its not fit for purpose!

One things for certain, whatever cuts to whatever benefit, he is the key…….

GEOFFREY REYNOLDS (Account suspended) left an annotation ()

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,
My questions relate to the proposed food vouchers that will be
made available instead of cash.

1/ Will the food voucher entitle the holder to a two course or
three course meal?

2/ Should a tuxedo or formal evening attire be used?

3/ Will the soup or gruel be of a consistency to be placed in a
begging bowl?

4/ Will the voucher entitle the bearer to a varied diet, ie;
is the menu changed regularly?

5/ Could a poor family share one voucher and save the remaining
vouchers as a treat for a weekend feast?

6/ Are knives and forks necessary or could the contents be decanted
into one bowl?

7/ Have the food vouchers been trialled at Westminster in any of
the taxpayer subsidised restaurants?

8/ Will the food vouchers be redeemable at participating
restaurants in either the commons or lords?

9/ Have ATOS HCPs tested the food available from the vouchers to
see if it is worthy of sustaining life?

10/ Are the vouchers edible, in the unforseen event food is not
available?

11/ Would sanctions be used against any poor person who turns to
cannibalism in the event the scheme fails?

12/ Does the DWP intend to keep a league table of satisfied
customers or will they just die, as they do at present?

13/ Will the holder of any unredeemed food vouchers be able to
convert them to cash after this policy of demonising the poor
collapses?

Yours faithfully, GEOFFREY REYNOLDS

GEOFFREY REYNOLDS (Account suspended) left an annotation ()

PLEASE NOTICE THE LINKS TO UNUM, ATOS, GUNNYEON AND LITCHFIELD AND FINALLY MANSEL AYLWARD...

Sadly, guess who is the independent scrutineer for ATOS,

The one and only PAUL LITCHFIELD.....

Labour partys ASSESSMENT IN MENTAL HEALTH TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP....

Sue Godby, UnumUK
Dr Angela Gra­ham, Atos Origin
Dr Paul Litch­field, Fac­ulty of Occu­pa­tional Medi­cine (Bill Gunnyeon, now the chief Med­ical Advisor to DWP was the pres­id­ent of the FOM)

In Phys­ical Tech­nical Work­ing Group included:

Dr Angela Gra­ham, Atos Ori­gin Med­ical Services
Dr Peter Dewis, Dis­ab­il­ity Ana­lyst and Cus­tomer Care Dir­ector, UnumUK
Dr David Hende­r­son Slater, yet again

The former Chief Med­ical Advisor to the UK gov­ern­ment, Pro­fessor Mansel Ayl­ward, was instru­mental in advising the UK gov­ern­ment to set up med­ical assess­ment centres based on the model in Amer­ica, and he is still fun­ded by the same Amer­ican com­pany used in his example, with his research centre in Wales. The company’s name: UnumProvid­ent (UK). Indeed, his research centre for Psychoso­cial and Dis­ab­il­ity Research is based at Cardiff Uni­ver­sity (Pro­fessor Ayl­ward is the Dir­ector) is named the“UnumProvident Centre.” Pro­fessor Ayl­ward was also instru­mental in how the recent Wel­fare Reform Act was to be imple­men­ted by the DWP. 8

ATOS AND ITS TWISTED CHILDREN.......

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