Request

Please provide all the standard training documents, protocols and compensation agreements shared with the medical assessors for the vaccine damage payment scheme.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 8 May 2024.

On 25 May 2024, you clarified your response as follows:

Please provide all the standard training documents, protocols and contracts including details of pay for the assessors shared with the medical assessors for the vaccine damage payment scheme.

Response

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) took over the administration of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) from the Department for Work and Pensions on 1 November 2021. Following the transfer of the VDPS, we procured a contract with Crawford & Co for the completion of independent medical assessments.

The VDPS provides a one-off tax-free payment, currently £120,000, to successful applicants where, on very rare occasions, a vaccine has caused severe disablement. The VDPS is not a compensation scheme – meaning a claimant could still seek damages in court.

We have considered this request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA 2000) and are issuing a refusal notice under section 17 of the FOIA.

The NHSBSA does hold the requested information; however, we consider that this information is exempt from disclosure under section 21 of FOIA. This provides an exemption from the duty to disclose information where this is reasonably accessible to an applicant by other means.

This information is already available in the public domain and can be accessed at: • Training and protocols: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/vaccine-damage-payment-scheme-vdps-claim-process • Contract: https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/foi-01680 • Independent Medical Assessor Payments: https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/foi-01872

Please see the following link to view the section 21 in full: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/21