NHS pharmacist ends life after vaccine complication, VDPS denied

An NHS pharmacist, John Cross, ended his life after suffering debilitating complications from the Covid-19 vaccine. Despite the vaccine being identified as the cause of his rare neurological condition, his request for compensation was denied by the government’s Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS).

The VDPS, established in 1979, provides one-off payments of £120,000 to individuals who experience significant side effects from various vaccines. However, the assessor concluded that Mr Cross was not sufficiently disabled to qualify for compensation.

Cross, an advocate for vaccination, received his first dose to protect his vulnerable relatives. Two weeks later, he began experiencing progressive paralysis. He was eventually diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy, a condition causing nerve swelling, loss of strength, and sensation.

Despite being in intensive care and undergoing extensive treatment, his mobility and health never fully recovered, leaving him in chronic pain and subject to multiple relapses.

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John Cross remained in debilitating pain after recovering from being paralyzed after his shot. The pain was so persistent he ended his own life.

Despite records clearly stating that the injury was due to the shot, John was denied compensation because… pic.twitter.com/gIeVVLYmfm

— React19 (@React19org) September 20, 2024

Doctors advised Cross to file a claim with the VDPS. However, after two years of delays, a single review of his medical records, and no face-to-face assessment, his claim was rejected. His widow, Christine, expressed her anger at the lack of personal contact and the bureaucratic hurdles they faced.

Following the rejection, Cross’s mental health deteriorated, and he took his own life in October 2023 after another relapse necessitated more intense treatment.

Adam Cross, his eldest son, mentioned that his father dreaded the dialysis-like treatment for removing rogue antibodies, as it left him extremely fatigued. Before his death, Cross had been gathering medical evidence to appeal the judgement but became increasingly anxious and overwhelmed.

The family is now seeking to overturn the decision and push for urgent reforms to the VDPS. Phillip Cross, the youngest son, emphasised the need for system changes in memory of their father, calling the current process unjust. Liz Whitehead, Cross’s daughter, expressed concerns about the system’s reliability, questioning its support in rare adverse situations.

The family of an NHS pharmacist who took his own life after suffering paralysing complications from a #COVID jab are calling for urgent reform of the government’s compensation scheme for #vaccine damage.
John Cross was told by the official medical assessor for the scheme that the… pic.twitter.com/R3tVj6GldD

— Anny Kitty (@Annie_kitty_) September 20, 2024

Under the VDPS, a medical examiner evaluates patient records and testimonies to determine eligibility. Claimants must be deemed 60 per cent disabled to qualify for compensation. However, solicitor Peter Todd pointed out that medical assessors often misunderstand the threshold, which includes both physical and psychological impacts.

Mr Todd has tracked VDPS applications and noted a significant increase since the covid vaccine rollout, with 14,000 claims submitted compared to a few dozen annually before the pandemic. Of these, around 6,000 have received outcomes, with 180 approved for payments.

Additionally, 350 people were told the vaccine caused their complications but did not meet the 60 per cent disability threshold for compensation.