Government hides information on death of Michael O’Sullivan

Last Updated: October 18, 2015By

The government is refusing to release information that would reveal which ministers and civil servants decided how to respond to the death of a man who killed himself as a direct result of being found “fit for work”.

Disability News Service (DNS) revealed last month that a coroner had demanded government action after an inquest into the death of Michael O’Sullivan, from north London.

The coroner, Mary Hassell, wrote what is known as a prevention of future deaths (PFD) report, and sent it to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), because she said there was “a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken”.

O’Sullivan had severe mental health problems, including anxiety, depression and agoraphobia, and expressed suicidal thoughts in his ESA application, but medical evidence from three mental health professionals was ignored in the benefits assessment process.

It is believed to be the first and only time a coroner has used a PFD report to draw attention to flaws in the discredited work capability assessment (WCA) system, and the only time a coroner has directly blamed that system for a death.

In its response to Hassell’s report, DWP said it planned to issue a reminder to staff about guidance on such cases, but appeared to make no further suggestions for how to prevent further deaths.

Source: Government hides information on death of Michael O’Sullivan

Join the Vox Political Facebook page.

If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!

Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(
but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:

Donate Button with Credit Cards

Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.

Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

HWG PrintHWG eBook

The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:

SWAHTprint SWAHTeBook

latest video

news via inbox

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

5 Comments

  1. Rupert Mitchell (@rupert_rrl) October 18, 2015 at 11:27 am - Reply

    Another travesty of justice for the UN investigators!

  2. Paul C. Dickie October 18, 2015 at 6:10 pm - Reply

    When will Mary Hassell start her next job?

  3. Dez October 19, 2015 at 9:52 am - Reply

    It would not be unreasonable, the coroner having made this statement, that a prosecution should not be persued including an in depth investigation by the police into just how the system condemned this innocent to death. People and system that allow this to happen should be made totally accountable for their incorrect decisions and be made publically accountable. If a private company has been negligent for their handling and decision making they should be accountable for their negligence and sued by the family. His will not have been the only case it’s just for once they have not got away with their actions because the coroner has for once done their job…..god this government cannot sink much lower…………but they will of course.

  4. mrmarcpc October 19, 2015 at 3:00 pm - Reply

    There should be a petition created for people to sign the make the government reveal the information about Michael’s death and not brush it under the carpet like they want to!

  5. Dez October 24, 2015 at 11:19 am - Reply

    And now the Chief Coroner is apparently dragging his feet siding with the Government in not issuing advice to all the Coroners in the UK to get some focus in this particular dark area. Shame on him……

Leave A Comment