Reform Party leader Richard Tice has called on former Health Secretary Matt Hancock to apologize for his handling of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.
Speaking on GB News, Tice demanded “changes to the vaccine compensation system” and criticized the implementation of the vaccination programme.
“I would like an apology from Mr Hancock. What he did during that (the vaccine rollout) was absolutely horrible on every level,” Tice told the program.
He called for “more honesty” about vaccine safety, saying that while vaccines were safe for many, they had “caused harm” to “probably more people than many would like.” admit “.
Richard Tice blasted Matt Hancock’s handling of the vaccine rollout
PA/GB NEWS
Tice specifically criticized the way the vaccine approach has evolved during the rollout.
“If you were more honest with people and said, ‘this is an urgent vaccine and we think it’s appropriate for older people’, then the narrative would change,” he told GB News.
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“All of a sudden they wanted everyone to be vaccinated. We opposed it and said it was not appropriate, especially for children,” he added.
When asked by host Stephen Dixon if his main concern was the compulsory nature of the program, Tice replied: “That’s exactly the point. »
“Very bad things have happened and we have to be honest with people,” he concluded.
His comments come as the Covid-19 inquiry heard evidence about serious problems with compensation for vaccine damage.
Richard Tice spoke to Stephen Dixon and Ellie Costello on GB News
GB NEWS
Kate Scott of Vaccine Injured and Bereaved UK told the inquiry the current program is “inadequate and ineffective”.
“It’s offering too little, too late, to too few people,” she said, describing how her husband Jamie became partially blind and cognitively impaired after a rare vaccine reaction.
The £120,000 one-off payment available under the vaccine injury compensation scheme is insufficient for many victims, Scott said.
Some affected families have been forced to resort to food banks and move, adding “additional trauma to what we are already going through,” she said.
According to figures revealed during the investigation, 17,519 claims had been lodged with the vaccine damage compensation system as of November 30, 2024.
Only 194 claimants were told they were entitled to payment.
More than 1,000 people have been waiting for more than 12 months for a decision on their claims.
Another 126 people have been waiting for almost three years without receiving a decision.
The NHS Business Services Authority said delays were often caused by waiting for medical records from healthcare providers, acknowledging that this “can be frustrating” for claimants.