On behalf of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Richard Heron and Dr Sharon Stevelink as independent medical/scientific members, Dr Sally Hemming as an employer representative and Stephen Mitchell as an employee representative.
The Chair of IIAC, Dr Lesley Rushton OBE welcomed the appointments of all four members and the experience they will bring in taking IIAC's work forward.
Dr Richard Heron
Dr Richard Heron has been appointed as an independent member for a term of five years. Richard is an independent Chief Medical Officer and the Managing Director at Heron Health Consulting Ltd. He is also Honorary Professorial Fellow, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Nottingham Medical School and a Honorary Teacher, Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Manchester.
Other honours and membership of academic bodies held include:
- Honorary Professorial Fellow at the International Business and Health, Department of Medicine, University of Nottingham
- Expert Advisor to NHS England and NHS Improvement on their health and wellbeing expert advisory group
- Co-chair of the International Occupational Medicine Society Collaborative
Dr Sharon Stevelink
Dr Sharon Stevelink has been appointed as an independent member for a term of five years. She is a Senior Lecturer in epidemiology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience and a National Institute for Health and Care Research Advanced Fellow, jointly based at the Department of Psychological Medicine and King's Centre for Military Health Research at King's College London.
Sharon drives a research agenda exploring occupational mental health and is interested in how working in high-risk occupations such as the military, police force, fire brigade, ambulance services and the NHS, impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of workers.
Other honours and membership of academic bodies held include:
- Academic member of the Psychological Medicine PhD Sub-Committee at King's College London
- Chair of the assessment sub-board for MSc in War & Psychiatry at King's College London
- Associate editorial board member of BMC Psychiatry
Dr Sally Hemming
Dr Sally Hemming has been appointed as a representative of employers for a term of five years. Sally is the Health and Wellbeing Lead at EY, UKI and also undertakes associate wellbeing services to Robertson Cooper, Northern Trust and JP Hemming Ltd. With over 20 years' experience, she is an employee relations and workplace health and wellbeing practitioner possessing a scientific specialism in employer support, behavioural, cultural change and working conditions to enhance wellbeing.
Sally is also a representative on the UK's National Health and Wellbeing Forum and published health researcher.
Stephen Mitchell
Stephen Mitchell has been appointed as a representative of workers for a five year term. He is Deputy Head of Legal Services and also Data Protection Officer for the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers Union. Steve has 30 years' legal experience in claimant personal injury work and in dealing with workplace disease and complex accident cases.
