Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many claims for payments under the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme have been (a) assessed and (b) concluded by the Government contractor Crawford and Company.

As of 15 July 2022, NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) had submitted 174 claims relating to the COVID-19 vaccinations containing full medical records to Crawford and Company for assessment. Of these, 11 claims had been fully concluded and claimants had been notified of the outcome.

NHSBSA and the Department have reviewed the definitions used in correspondence for the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS). To ensure consistency of reporting, from July 2022, VDPS claims will only be classed as ‘concluded’ once NHSBSA have notified the applicant of the outcome of their claim. Previously, claims had been classed as “concluded” as soon as NHSBSA had received an initial decision from the third-party medical assessor.