Request

I am writing to submit a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I would like to request the following information:

The total number of claims received from individuals reporting they have been diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

Of these claims, how many specifically allege that their diagnosis of POTS is a consequence of receiving the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine?

If possible, please provide this information broken down by year from the beginning of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout to the present.

Response

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested.

Fewer than five

Please be aware that I have decided not to release the full details where the total number of individuals falls below five. This is because the individuals 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 (FOIA). This is because it would breach the first data protection principle as:

a - it is not fair to disclose individual’s 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 individual.

Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full. www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/40

Breach of confidentiality

Please note that the identification of individuals is also a breach of the common law duty of confidence. An individual 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

The claimant can tell us what happened after vaccination on the claim form. At the medical assessment stage, the independent medical assessor provides a description of the assessed conditions they have been able to identify from the claimant's medical records. This can sometimes be a mixture of conditions. The condition recorded against each claim may therefore be different to the condition initially stated by the claimant on their original claim form.

All data provided relates to the conditions listed by the independent medical assessor in the assessment report.

• Claims registered in 2021: 0 medical assessment reports contain the search term Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

• Claims registered in 2022: 14 medical assessment reports contain the search term Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

• Claims registered in 2023: 34 medical assessment reports contain the search term Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

• Claims registered in 2024: Fewer than five medical assessment reports contain the search term Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

• Claims in relation to AstraZeneca registered in 2021: 0 medical assessment reports contain the search term Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

• Claims in relation to AstraZeneca registered in 2022: 6 medical assessment reports contain the search term Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

• Claims in relation to AstraZeneca registered in 2023: 10 medical assessment reports contain the search term Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

• Claims in relation to AstraZeneca registered in 2024: Fewer than five medical assessment reports contain the search term Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

Reusing the data and copyright

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data, please contact communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. 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 2024” 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.