Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme on Covid-19 vaccinations have been (a) received, (b) successful, (c) unsuccessful as a result of the claim not meeting the 60 per cent disability threshold, (d) rejected and (e) still awaiting resolution.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As of 22 November 2024, the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) has received 17,379 claims related to COVID-19 vaccinations. Of these, 194 claims have resulted in a payment being awarded, 9,196 have been rejected, 7,173 are awaiting resolution, and 816 were found to be invalid due to either being outside the scope of the VDPS or for being a duplicate claim. Of the 9,196 rejected claims, 416 were rejected for not meeting the 60% disability threshold.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much has been spent on (a) reviewing applications to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme and (b) reviewing cases where a patient has challenged a decision in each of the last 5 years.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) in November 2021. We cannot provide any costings for the scheme during the period in which it was operated by the Department for Work and Pensions. Since the NHSBSA took over operation of the scheme, the following costs have been incurred for the medical assessments of the claims:

• in the financial year 2021/22, no costs were incurred, as the claims assessment did not begin until May 2022;
• in the financial year 2022/23, the total cost of the medical assessments was £5,018,638.73;
• in the financial year 2023/24, the total cost of the medical assessments was £10,500,029.88; and
• in the current financial year, up to 1 November 2024, the total cost of the medical assessments is £9,616,394.02.

These are annual totals since we do not separate the budgets for initial assessments and mandatory reversals, the review of claims already assessed.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date he met representatives of those (a) injured and (b) bereaved as a result of Covid-19 vaccine damage; and what steps he has taken as a result of that meeting.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care met with the families of those who have suffered serious side effects from the Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine on 11 September 2024. The families raised the need for the reform of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, and they requested a compensation scheme for those affected. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care listened to their concerns and agreed that the Government will look closely at this, as it continues to learn and apply the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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 October 2024 to Question 9409 on Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, if he will launch a consultation with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to increase the limitation period for court claims relating to Covid-19 vaccines.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

It would not be appropriate for the Government to comment on individual claims or cases whilst there is ongoing litigation. It is right that such matters follow the appropriate legal process, which can take time. There are, however, currently no plans to launch a consultation on increasing the limitation period for court claims relating to COVID-19 vaccines.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will meet with Professor Adam Finn to discuss the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (a) 60% threshold, (b) levels of payments in the context of levels of inflation and (c) the potential impact of those factors on levels of public confidence in vaccines.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Whilst there are currently no plans to meet with Professor Adam Finn, the Government continues to listen carefully to the concerns raised about the Vaccine Damages Payment Scheme. As part of this consideration, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care met recently with Vaccine Injured and Bereaved UK, and other representatives of those who have suffered harm.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the medical assessors for the Vaccine Damages Payment Scheme have access to the scientific advice given to ministers regarding the AstraZeneca Covid-19 Vaccine.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

All claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) are assessed on a case-by-case basis by experienced independent medical assessors, General Medical Council registered doctors with a licence to practise, who have undertaken specialised training in vaccine damage and disability assessment.

When making medical assessment through the VDPS, independent medical assessors consider not just the claimant’s full medical records once they are gathered, but also the claim form and a range of credible resources to support their assessment, as per NHS Business Services Authority’s published VDPS Principles of Medical Assessment. This includes, but is not limited to, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s data, including Yellow Card information on suspected safety concerns involving a healthcare product, vaccine product information and updates, the UK Health Security Agency's Green Book, and the World Health Organization’s Causality assessment of an adverse event following immunization. Medical assessors will also consider academic research, epidemiological evidence, and the current consensus of expert medical opinion.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many applicants to the Vaccine Damages Payment Scheme (VDPS) have made a claim relating to the AstraZeneca Covid-19 Vaccine; and how many applicants to the VDPS have been waiting for a decision for longer than (1) one year and (2) 18 months.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As of 30 September 2024, the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) has processed 3,825 claims relating to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. A further 207 claims relating to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine are undergoing medical assessment. As of 30 September 2024, there were 7,335 live VDPS claims, of which 1,024 have been awaiting resolution for longer than 12 months, and 316 claims for longer than 18 months.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applications were made to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme in each of the last three years; and how many and what proportion of those applications were unsuccessful.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Between January to December 2021, a total of 686 applications were made to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme. Between January and December 2022, 2,828 applications were made to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, and between January and December 2023, 5,611 applications were made.

From January to December 2021, 574 applications, or 84%, made to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme were unsuccessful. From January to December 2022, 2,587 applications, or 91%, were unsuccessful, and from January to December 2023, 4,361 applications, or 78%, were unsuccessful. For the purpose of this reply, unsuccessful applications refer to applications which have been rejected following a completed medical assessment, and applications deemed invalid to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to provide (a) healthcare and (b) financial support to people whose applications to the Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme were rejected on the basis that they do not have a severe disablement that exceeds the 60% threshold.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We expect that individuals whose claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) have been rejected on the basis that they do not meet the 60% disability threshold would receive the same level of treatment and care from the National Health Service as those with any other long-term condition requiring support.

The VDPS is not a compensation scheme. It does not prejudice the right of the disabled person to pursue a claim for damages through the courts. Other Government support remains open to claimants with a disability or long-term health condition, including Statutory Sick Pay, Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Attendance Allowance, and Personal Independence Payments.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applications were made under the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme for redress arising from the administration of covid-19 vaccines as at 1 July 2024; and how many and what proportion of those applications were (a) decided, (b) successful and (c) rejected on the grounds that the 60% disability threshold had not been reached.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As of 1 July 2024, the NHS Business Services Authority had received 14,088 claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) relating to COVID-19. Following medical assessment, 6,850 claims, or 48.6% of the total number of claims, had received an initial outcome, with 181 claims, or 1.3%, being successful and 6,062 claims, 45.1%, being unsuccessful. A further 607 claims, or 4.3%, were found invalid, due to being either outside the scope of the VDPS or a duplicate claim. Of the 6,062 unsuccessful claims, 360 claims, or 2.6%, were rejected on the grounds that the 60% disability threshold had not been reached.

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Question

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with people living with vaccine injury, and whether it will consider meeting with representatives of such people in the coming months.

Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health

It is important to acknowledge that vaccines are medicines and like all medicines they can have side effects and, on rare occasions, cause injury. Thankfully, most side effects are mild and short lived, but the Scottish Government recognises that some are not.

The Scottish Government has corresponded with the Scottish Vaccine Injury Group on several occasions, and has routinely signposted members of the public to the vaccine damage payment scheme when they have raised issues of vaccine–related injury. The safety of medicines, including vaccines, and the subject matter of the Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme are matters which are reserved to the UK Government, therefore we are unable to comment on individual cases.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry is currently underway and the forthcoming Module 4 of the UK COVID-19 Public Inquiry on Vaccines and Therapeutics will consider vaccine safety and other aspects, such as potential reforms to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.

The Scottish Vaccine Injury Group is a core participant of both the UK and Scottish Inquiries and as such has a central role. Due to the group’s involvement with the Inquiries, it would not be appropriate for Ministers to meet with them at this stage.

I advised through recent correspondence with the Scottish Vaccine Injury Group that I would be open to meeting with representatives of the group once Module 4 of the UK Inquiry has concluded, and after Baroness Hallett has issued my recommendations. This would facilitate a full and open discussion to take place between both parties, where recommendations could be discussed, especially if there were any the group felt weren’t full addressed as part of the inquiry.