Request

1. I'd like to know what the average wait time is, and
2. the latest figures of how many claims received and
3. how many were successful. Someone must have that data

Your request was received on 28 February 2024 and I am dealing with it under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

On 13 and 14 March you clarified:

I would like the data starting from 1st Jan 2020 Yes, Covid 19 vaccine claims only

Response

We have numbered your questions above to ensure they are all answered, and that our response clearly answers each one in turn.

All data as of 14 March 2024. All data relates to claims received by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) and those transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 1 November 2021.

In December 2020, ministers agreed to add COVID-19 to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS).

Question 1

Between 1 January 2020 and 14 March 2024, for COVID-19 vaccine related claims, the average number of days it took from receiving a claim for an outcome to be communicated was 355. As part of the process of the scheme, we need a full set of medical records for each claimant, and it can take time for the claimant’s healthcare providers to gather and securely supply copies of these records. Once sent for assessment, the time it takes for the independent medical assessor to review a claim can vary from case to case depending on the individual circumstances of each claim. Question 2

10,655 claims involving a COVID-19 vaccine have been received by the VDPS.

Question 3

Please be advised following disclosure of information under FOI 01745, when we disclosed that 163 claimants had been notified of an award, fewer than five new claimants have since been notified that they are entitled to a Vaccine Damage payment within the requested period.

Please be aware that I have decided not to release the full details where the increase in the total number of awards falls below five. This is because the claimants could be identified, when combined with other information that may be in the public domain or reasonably available. This information falls under the exemption in section 40 subsections 2 and 3 (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.

b - these details are not of sufficient interest to the public to warrant an intrusion into the privacy of the claimant.    Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full.  

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/40  

Breach of Patient confidentiality

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 the 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 below web link to see the exemption in full.  

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/41

Please note that this request and our response is published on our Freedom of Information disclosure log at:

https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/foi-01789