Request

Please can you make the following dataset available, broken down by month of claim, preferably in a spreadsheet or CSV format: - 1. The number of VDPS claims relating to COVID-19 vaccines. 2. Of those claims, how many were medically assessed. 3. Any successful claims. 4. Any rejected claims.

Response

Question 1

The total number of VDPS claims relating to COVID-19 vaccines as of 25 March 2022 is 1,210.

Monthly figure breakdown can be found in the attached data. However, please be aware that I have decided not to release the number of claims where the monthly total number of claims falls below 5. This is because the patients could be identified, when combined with other information that may be in the public domain or reasonably available. Where this applies, we’ve merged figures for multiple months to ensure we don’t provide the exact monthly number.

This information falls under the exemption in section 40 subsections 2 and 3A (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 patients’ 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 patients. Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full.

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

Breach of Patient confidentiality

Please note that the identification of patients is also a breach of the common law duty of confidence. A patient who has been identified could make a claim against the NHSBSA or yourself 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.

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

Questions 2 & 3

The COVID-19 vaccines are very new and the global effort to establish any potential causal relationship between the vaccines and their potential adverse effects is not straightforward and has taken time. Claims relating to Covid-19 vaccines have not yet been medically assessed, therefore there have been no payments made to date.

Question 4 There have been fewer than 5 claims rejected due to those claims falling outside the eligibility criteria. Therefore this information is being withheld under the same exemption outlined in the response to question 1 above.

Data Queries

If you have any queries regarding the data provided, or if you plan on publishing the data, please contact nhsbsa.foirequests@nhs.net ensuring you quote the above reference. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data, please contact nhsbsa.communicationsteam@nhs.net. 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 2022” This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

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.