Thank you for your request for information about the following:

Request

You asked us:

‘The information I am seeking is

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 29 August 2025.

We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

Our response

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds some of the information you have requested however, some of the information is exempt as it is already reasonably accessible to you under section 21 of the FOIA.

Please see the following link to view the section 21 in full: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/21

The following requested information is available on the NHSBSA Open Data Portal and can be accessed using the following link: https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/foi-02581

Question 5 - Copy of the latest handbook for medical assessors about the VDPS

The NHSBSA “Principles of Medical Assessment” outlines the quality standards expected within outcome reports and incorporates previous learning that may be useful to consider in their preparation.

The document was created by the NHSBSA to ensure that the principles are consistently and appropriately applied. This document was last updated in March 2025. The NHSBSA “Principles of Medical Assessment” is available on our website under ‘Guidance the medical assessor uses’. Section 21 of the FOIA applies to this element of your request as the document is already accessible to you at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/vaccine-damage-payment-scheme-vdps-claim-process

Question 6 - Copies of any other training materials used to train medical assessors

I am writing to advise you that following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that no further information in scope of your request is held by the NHSBSA that has not already been disclosed as part of our response.

Question 7 - Copies of any emails or MS Teams messages to assessors regarding guidance over assessments in the last 12 months

I am writing to advise you that following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you have requested is not held by the NHSBSA. This is because the NHSBSA does not correspond directly with individual medical assessors regarding medical assessments.

Data Queries

Please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference if you have any specific questions regarding this response; or, if you feel you may be misunderstanding or misinterpreting the information; or, if you plan on publishing the data.

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 2025” 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.