Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2022 to Question 100419 on Coronavirus: Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, how many independent experienced medical advisers have been appointed to consider VDPS applications ;and if he will publish their (a) names, (b) qualifications and (c) relevant experience.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The NHS Business Service Agency is currently tendering a contract to increase capacity to conduct Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme medical assessments. The number of medical assessors appointed will be managed by the supplier and will be flexible to meet the Scheme’s demands. All medical assessors are registered with the General Medical Council and safeguards will be in place to ensure the advice provided meets the required standards. All assessments are subject to quality audit.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 21 December to Question 86035 on Coronavirus: Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme; for what reason the number of staff in his Department engaged in assessing applications to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme on the covid-19 vaccine was not provided; and how many staff were engaged in assessing those applications on (a) 2 December 2021 and (b) 10 January 2022.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

There are no Departmental staff assessing applications to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS). Following the transfer of the VDPS administrative function to the NHS Business Services Authority in November 2021, there are currently 26 members of staff processing claims, increased from 15 members of staff in December 2021. Once sufficient evidence is gathered on a VDPS claim they are medically assessed by an independent, experienced medical adviser.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme will make payments to applicants diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome in the context of that syndrome having been added to the list of side effects for the AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccination.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

All claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme are clinically assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether any payments have been made under the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to covid-19 vaccinations.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

There have not been any Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) payments relating to COVID-19 vaccinations to date.

Claims relating to COVID-19 are taking longer to investigate and process as the related vaccines are new and establishing a relationship between them and their purported side effects takes time. Since taking over the administration of the scheme in November 2021, the NHS Business Services Authority have started processing COVID-19 vaccinations claims and will update claimants on progress. Other VDPS claims continue to be processed as usual.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applications have been received under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 for compensation for disabilities caused by covid-19 vaccinations; how many staff in his Department are engaged in assessing those applications; and how many of those applications have (a) been successful, (b) been rejected and (c) are still under consideration as of 2 December 2021 as of 2 December 2021.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

As of 6 December 2021, 562 claims have been received to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme regarding the COVID-19 vaccines. These claims are currently being processed and have no outcome at this stage.

Found: providers ”. 17 14 PQ 35968 [on Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme], 2 August 2022 15 PQ 92985 [on Coronavirus