This is because it would breach the first data protection principle as: a) it is not fair to disclose claimant 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 claimant. 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 claimants is also a breach of the common law duty of confidence. A claimant 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.

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

As of 1 December 2022, 31 claimants have been notified they are entitled to a Vaccine Damage Payment. Fewer Than 5 Please be aware that I have decided not to release the exact number of awards, as the number of awarded claims between 1 December 2022 and your request on 15 January 2023 is fewer than 5. This is because the claimants 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 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 claimant 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 claimant. 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 claimants is also a breach of the common law duty of confidence. A claimant 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 Question 2 633 submitted claims have been rejected Question 3 There are 2,840 claims currently being processed Please note that this request and our response is published on our Freedom of Information disclosure log at: https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/foi-30989

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.

On 28 May 2025 the request was clarified with the following: ‘Thank you for the below - please can you provide statistical data relating to: appeal decisions made by the HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS); and mandatory reversal decisions made by the NHSBSA, in each case relating to Covid-19 vaccine VDPS claims.’ Response I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested. The information provided is for COVID-19 claims received up to 30 April 2025. Question 1 - appeal decisions made by the HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS); When a claimant disagrees with an outcome of a mandatory reversal, they can appeal the decision to HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). This means their claim will be heard by a tribunal. The tribunal is impartial and independent of the government. After an appeal is submitted, the claimant can provide evidence. The appeal and the evidence will be discussed at a hearing by a judge and one or two experts, for example, a doctor. The judge will then make a decision. I am unable to provide a figure that relates to the time frame you requested. This is because when coupled with information which is already publicly available it provides a difference in the amount which is fewer than five which increases the risk of identifiability of individuals who have made a claim to the scheme. The information is therefore exempt under section 40(2) of the FOIA (personal information). This is because it would breach the first data protection principle as: it is not fair to disclose individual’s personal details to the world and is likely to cause damage or distress these details are not of sufficient interest to the public to warrant an intrusion into the privacy of the individual Please see the following link to view the section 40 exemption in full: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/40 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 FOIA. Please see the following link to view the section 41 exemption in full: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/41

Healthy start survey data – results and dates of https://wh1.snapsurveys.com/SURVEY_PREVIEW.asp?k=159661449180 Can I have the newer survey data/report with all the data that is available? I am hoping to use that data in my research. Response Typed Survey Questions Please be aware that I have decided not to release the survey results where responses were typed by an individual beneficiary. This is because they 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 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 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 confidentiality Please note that the identification of beneficiaries is also a breach of the common law duty of confidence. A beneficiary 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 Remaining information A copy of the information is attached. Please read the below notes to ensure correct understanding of the data. This report contains data from our most recent customer satisfaction survey. The data is from November 2022, when this survey started, up to the end of July 2023. Feedback is based on 2,996 respondents who are on the NHS Healthy Start scheme. The numbers in brackets in each chart refer to the number of respondents (not all respondents will answer all questions depending on survey routing). The chart labelled NPS (on a 1-10 scale) refers to our overall satisfaction question which reads: Overall, how satisfied are you with the NHS Healthy Start service? (where 1 is not at all satisfied and 10 is completely satisfied)

Question 3 Please be advised following disclosure of information under FOI 01745, when we disclosed that 163 claimants had been notified of an award, fewer than five new claimants have since been notified that they are entitled to a Vaccine Damage payment within the requested period. Please be aware that I have decided not to release the full details where the increase in the total number of awards falls below five. This is because the claimants 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. This is because it would breach the first data protection principle as: a - it is not fair to disclose claimant 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 claimant. Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full. www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/40 Breach of Patient confidentiality Please note that the identification of claimants is also a breach of the common law duty of confidence. A claimant 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 Please note that this request and our response is published on our Freedom of Information disclosure log at:

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 information is exempt under section 40(2) of the FOIA (personal information). 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 see the following link to view the section 40 exemption in full: https://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 see the following link to view the section 41 exemption in full: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/41

This is because it would breach the first data protection principle as: a) it is not fair to disclose applicants 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 applicants. Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/40 Breach of Applicant Confidentiality Please note that the identification of applicants is also a breach of the common law duty of confidence. An applicant 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 Note - Ages have been grouped to allow for a lower amount of suppression of the data. ‘Age 11 and under’ has been added to the dataset to complete the analysis. Please note that this request and our response is published on our Freedom of Information disclosure log at: https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/foi-23325 If you have any queries regarding the data provided, or if you plan on publishing the data, please contact nhsbsa.foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk 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.

Response I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested and a copy of the information is attached. Fewer than 5 Please be aware that I have decided not to release details where the total number of beneficiaries falls below 5. This is because the beneficiaries 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 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 beneficiary 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 claimants is also a breach of the common law duty of confidence. A claimant 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. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/41 Publishing this response Please note that this information will be published on our Freedom of Information disclosure log at: https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/foi-02309 Your personal details will be removed from the published response.

Question 1 No claimants have been notified they are entitled to a Vaccine Damage Payment because of chronic fatigue syndrome. Question 2 No claimants have been notified they are entitled to a Vaccine Damage Payment because of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) Question 3 Please be aware that I have decided not to release this figure. Fewer than five claimants have been notified that they are entitled to a Vaccine Damage Payment because of fatigue. 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

‘Please provide a breakdown of the numbers of living EIBSS beneficiaries, who fall into the following categories, by County: HIV Co-infected (stage 1 and HIV) Co-infected (SCM and HIV) Co-infected (stage 2 and HIV) You do not need to breakdown each category, it would be one number per county, for example: Avon 5, Bedford 4, Bristol 0, etc’ Response A copy of the information is attached. Fewer Than 5 Please be aware that I have decided not to release the beneficiary details where the total number of beneficiaries falls below 5. This is because the beneficiaries 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 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 a beneficiary’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 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 beneficiaries is also a breach of the common law duty of confidence. A beneficiary 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. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/41

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 27 November 2024. We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. Our response I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested. All claims are assessed on a case-by-case basis by an independent medical assessor. Medical assessors are General Medical Council registered doctors with a license to practise and at least five years' experience. An independent medical assessor will consider your full medical records along with all available scientific evidence. They decide if you are due a Vaccine Damage Payment based on whether: the vaccine, on the balance of probabilities, caused the disability the level of disability is severe Severely disabled means at least 60% disabled, assessed for the purposes of section 103 of The Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/4/contents Further principles for assessing the extent of disablement are set out in the Social Security (General Benefit) Regulations 1982, available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1982/1408/contents Each claimant receives the independent medical assessor’s decision and medical assessment report by post. The medical assessment report states whether the vaccine, on the balance of probabilities, caused the disability and if so, defines the assessed disability percentage within the conclusion. Therefore, we can confirm that we do hold the requested information, but this information is exempt under section 40(2) of the FOIA (personal information). Section 40(2) is an absolute, prejudice-based exemption and therefore is exempt if disclosure would contravene any of the data protection principles. In order for disclosure to comply with the lawfulness, fairness, and transparency principle, we either need the consent of the data subject(s) or there must be a legitimate interest in disclosure. In addition, the disclosure must be necessary to meet the legitimate interest and finally, the disclosure must not cause unwarranted harm. As we do not have the consent of the data subject(s), the NHSBSA is therefore required to conduct a balancing exercise between legitimate interest of the applicant in disclosure against the rights and freedoms of the data subject(s). The NHSBSA acknowledges that you have a legitimate interest in disclosure of the information; however, we have concluded that disclosure of the requested information would cause unwarranted harm and therefore, section 40(2) is engaged. This is because there is a reasonable expectation that patient data processed by the NHSBSA remains confidential. Please see the following link to view the section 40 exemption in full - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/40 In addition, we also consider this information exempt under section 41 of the FOIA (information provided in confidence). This is because the requested information was provided to the NHSBSA in confidence. In order for Section 41 to be engaged, the following criteria must be fulfilled: the authority must have obtained the information from another person, its disclosure must constitute a breach of confidence,