Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date the NHS Business Services Authority awarded the contract for a supplier to cover medical assessments of claims under the Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme; what the commencement date is of that contract; how many medical assessors will be employed under that contract; and what the key performance requirements are of that contract .

The contract was awarded on 21 March 2022. The supplier is establishing its systems and staff to commence assessments as soon as possible. However, medical assessments for each claim can only proceed once the NHS Business Services Authority receives full medical records from a claimant’s general practitioner, medical providers, local authorities and other relevant healthcare providers.

Under this contract, the number of medical assessors appointed to assess claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme is managed by the supplier and will be flexible to meet the needs of the Scheme. The key performance requirements in the contract include:

- medical assessments being compliant with clinical governance standards;

- the provision of full outcome reports for each claim assessed, including rationale; and

- claim assessment targets based on the fluctuating demands on the scheme.