Trial nurse with spinal cord damage refused vaccine compensation as not 60% disabled

Right · 2Marie-Claire Hoyle, a 44-year-old NHS nurse, has been refused compensation under the Government's Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) after developing a spinal cord condition following the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine trial. 1 2 Right · 2She volunteered for the trial while working at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, and about two weeks after her second dose in August 2020 she developed transverse myelitis, a rare condition in which the spinal cord becomes inflamed. The trial was suspended worldwide while her case was investigated. 1 2 Right · 2She says she lost the use of her hands, could not hold a pen or a toothbrush, and was numb from the collarbone to the thigh. Her condition has since improved, but she says an MRI scan showed the damage to her spinal cord will not fully heal. She still has poor grip, nerve pain down her left arm and numbness across her chest. 2 1

Right · 2The VDPS pays a one-off £120,000 to people who can show a vaccine caused their injury and that they meet a 60 per cent disability threshold. Hoyle's claim was rejected because she is no longer considered at least 60 per cent disabled. 1 2 Right · 2Hoyle says the authorities accepted that the vaccine caused her condition and that she was seriously harmed at the time, but told her: 'You aren't now, so you don't need the payment.' 1 2 Right · 1She is calling for the scheme to be reformed. GB News reports that she favours a sliding scale reflecting the continuing impact of an injury, rather than a rigid 60 per cent threshold, so that people are not excluded because their condition improves. 1

Right · 2Hoyle separately received a high five-figure sum from Oxford University in an out-of-court settlement. Transverse myelitis was later listed as an extremely rare possible side effect of the vaccine. She remains supportive of vaccination and had her youngest son vaccinated against Covid-19 in 2021. 1 2 Right · 2Her case comes as the Government considers recommendations from Baroness Hallett's Covid-19 Inquiry, published last April, on reforming the compensation scheme. GB News says Hallett called for payments to be scaled so people with less debilitating injuries can also be compensated. The Daily Mail says she is working to reduce the payment so more people can be compensated. 1 2 Right · 2The NHS Business Services Authority, which administers the VDPS, said rejected claims can be challenged and reassessed using updated medical evidence. The Department of Health and Social Care expressed sympathy and said it is carefully considering the inquiry's recommendations and will respond shortly. AstraZeneca said patient safety is its highest priority. 1 2