FOI-03825

##Request

You asked us:

<i>A. How many claims have been submitted for Vaccine Damage.<br>
B. Of the claims submitted what percentage have been successful.<br>
C. Of the successful claims how much in monetary terms has been paid to claimants.<br>
D. Why was it deemed necessary to create a website whereby claims could be submitted.<br>
E. Who makes the ultimate decision regarding claims and what are his/her qualifications.</i>

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 8 May 2026.

We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

##Our response

<strong>Question A - How many claims have been submitted for Vaccine Damage. 
and
Question B - Of the claims submitted what percentage have been successful.</strong>

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested.

Under Section 21 of the FOIA we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you. 

The NHSBSA actively publishes information on claims made to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) on the Open Data Portal (ODP) for both COVID-19 vaccine and non-COVID-19 vaccine claims.

Please see the following link to view non-COVID-19 vaccine claim data:
https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/vdps-non-covid-19 

Please see the following link to view COVID-19 vaccine claim data:
https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/vdps-covid-19 

Please see the following link to view section 21 in full: 
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/21

To protect confidentiality, cells are intentionally left blank where changes in numbers between publications are equal to or fewer than five. Please note that these cells would also be exempt under the FOIA and therefore we are unable to provide this information to you.

<strong>Fewer than five</strong>

The NHSBSA considers this information to be exempt because when combined with the additional information reasonably available in the public domain, claimants could be identified by the disclosure of this information.

This information falls under the exemption in section 40 subsections 2 and 3A (a) of the Freedom of Information Act. This is because it would breach the first data protection principle as:

a)	It is not fair to disclose claimant personal details to the world and is likely to cause damage or distress.<br>
b)	These details are not of sufficient interest to the public to warrant an intrusion into the privacy of the claimant.

Please click the web link below to see the exemption in full: 
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/40

<strong>Breach of Patient Confidentiality</strong>

Please note that the identification of claimants is also a breach of the common law duty of confidence. A claimant who has been identified could make a claim against the NHSBSA for the disclosure of confidential information.

The information requested is therefore being withheld as it falls under the exemption in section 41(1) ‘Information provided in confidence’ of the Freedom of Information Act.

Please click the web link below to see the exemption in full:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/41

<strong>Question C - Of the successful claims how much in monetary terms has been paid to claimants.</strong>

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested.

A Vaccine Damage Payment is a one-off payment of £120,000. It is: <ul>
<li>tax free</li>
<li>not treated as compensation, meaning claimants can still seek damages in court</li></ul>

As such, the amount awarded can be calculated by multiplying the number of awarded claims on the ODP by £120,000.

<strong>Question D - Why was it deemed necessary to create a website whereby claims could be submitted.</strong>

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested.

The NHSBSA takes a digital first mindset, where appropriate, when designing how we will administer our services. We introduced a digital application claim form to streamline the claim journey. However, paper claim forms remain available upon request and we have a team available who can assist applicants in completing their application where necessary.

<strong>Question E - Who makes the ultimate decision regarding claims </strong>

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested.

Under the legislation which governs the scheme the Secretary of State is the ultimate decision maker. 

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is responsible for the policy and legislation that governs the scheme, including the eligibility criteria for payment, the legislation that determines the 60% disablement criteria and the payment amount.

The NHSBSA administers the scheme on behalf of DHSC and communicates outcomes on behalf the Secretary of State under section 1(1) of the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979. 
Each claim is assessed on a case-by-case basis by a medical assessor. All medical assessors are General Medical Council (GMC) registered doctors with a licence to practise and at least five years' experience. All relevant information is considered to make a complete and fair assessment. The medical assessor thoroughly considers:
<ul>
<li>information given on the claim form</li>
<li>any further evidence submitted by the claimant</li>
<li>any pre-existing conditions that are not caused by the vaccine</li>
<li>medical records (if required)</li>
<li>clinical research</li>
<li>epidemiological evidence</li>
<li>the current consensus of expert medical opinion</li></ul>

The medical assessor will advise whether the claimant is entitled to a Vaccine Damage Payment, based on the government’s rules for the scheme. As soon as a claim has been assessed, the claimant will receive a letter telling them the outcome, and a copy of the comprehensive medical report VAD 30 (MA). The medical assessment report is written by the medical assessor and explains how they reached their decision.

<strong>and what are his/her qualifications</strong>

I am writing to advise you that following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested, on the qualifications held by the Secretary of State, is not held by the NHSBSA. Unfortunately, we do not know who may hold this information.

Online: https://www.gov.uk/make-a-freedom-of-information-request/the-freedom-of-information-act 

##Data Queries

Please contact <a href=mailto:foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk>foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk</a>  ensuring you quote the above reference if you have any specific questions regarding this response; or, if you feel you may be misunderstanding or misinterpreting the information; or, if you plan on publishing the data.

##Reusing the data and copyright

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact <a href=mailto:communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk>communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk</a>. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “NHSBSA Copyright 2026” This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence:<br>
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.


Tags: NHSBSA corporate, Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, nhsbsa, vdps
Organization: Freedom of Information Disclosure Log