Department of Health and Social Care
178 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 100.0%
The Freedom of Information requests reveal a Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) under intense scrutiny regarding workforce stability, procurement transparency, and clinical performance. A dominant narrative is the struggle to manage staffing levels, evidenced by repeated requests on bank staff costs, zero-hours contracts, and the 'MARS' redundancy scheme. The authority has been largely transparent about the *existence* of these issues—disclosing relocation packages for nurses and the financial cost of redundancies—but often cites 'excessive compilation effort' or 'data limitations' when asked for granular breakdowns of costs or specific staff categories. This suggests a reactive administrative culture where data is held in silos, making comprehensive analysis difficult for the public.
Key Cases
Case 355345 — This case reveals a significant ethical transparency regarding vaccine ingredients. The authority confirmed that specific vaccines use historical cell lines from legal abortions in the 1960s but explicitly stated this information is not currently provided to patients on consent forms, raising questions about informed consent practices.
Case 355291 — A rare and specific disclosure regarding the Isle of Man TT, revealing the exact amounts recovered from private insurance for race-related medical treatments and confirming that no competitors required Intensive Therapy Unit admission in 2017, providing concrete data on the health impact of major sporting events.
Case 355301 — This case highlights a potential conflict of interest involving the Minister (Hon K Beecroft) and her company, Manx Home Care. While transfer statistics were released, the authority admitted it did not hold the specific contract files, suggesting a fragmentation of records or a deliberate separation of procurement data from the health department.
Case 355253 — The request regarding the 2006 Everall Report (a major child welfare inquiry) was refused on the grounds that the DHSC does not hold the implementation data, which was assigned to the Chief Secretary's Office. This points to a systemic lack of accountability tracking for long-term child protection reforms.
Case 361157 — This case quantifies the cost of the Mutual Agreed Resignation Scheme (MARS), disclosing the total payout and annual savings. It serves as a concrete financial metric for the department's strategy to reduce staffing costs through voluntary redundancies.
Related FOI Stories
Dental Services and UDA Performance — #355317, #355117, #355319, #355331, #420033
Workforce Crisis: Recruitment, Retention, and MARS — #355311, #355143, #355153, #355357, #355281
Procurement, Contracts, and Ministerial Conflicts of Interest — #355217, #355161, #355247, #355301, #358156
Clinical Services: Endoscopy, Waiting Lists, and Procedures — #355115, #355219, #355223, #355263, #355387
Public Health, Vaccination, and Substance Abuse — #356085, #355133, #355145, #355229, #355333
All (178)
Information not held (271) ·
All information sent (178) ·
Some information sent but not all held (97) ·
Some information sent but part exempt (44) ·
No information sent - all held but exempt (17) ·
Not upheld (12) ·
Upheld - partial (11) ·
Request lapsed - requested information not provided (4) ·
Not required to fulfill request (4) ·
Upheld - full (3) ·
Repeated request (1) ·
Neither confirm or deny information held (1) ·
Decision Notice - Complaint upheld (1) ·
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-21 | Cost of the independent review of health and social care | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the costs and funding sources of two independent health reviews; the Department disclosed the cost and budget for the MIAA review but exempted the Sir Jonathan Michael report details as they are publicly available elsewhere. | ||
| 2025-03-12 | Diabetes retinopathy provision | All information sent |
| The request sought progress on diabetic retinal screening implementation and specific spending figures from the Healthcare Transformation Fund, including KPMG costs. The authority provided links to policy documents regarding progress but refused to disclose specific monetary amounts, citing that the data is not held separately from a wider portfolio of work. | ||
| 2024-11-25 | Health and Social Care Ombudsman Body ("HSCOB") Report 2024 | All information sent |
| The requester asked when the Department of Health and Social Care received the 2024 HSCOB Annual Report and when it would be published. The authority confirmed receipt in August 2024 and stated the report was approved by the Council of Ministers in November 2024 and is now publicly available on the Tynwald Register of Business. | ||
| 2024-11-20 | Minutes of Meetings | All information sent |
| The requester asked for minutes, action logs, and reports from the Children's Services Improvement Board from May 2024 to the present, and the Department of Health and Social Care disclosed all requested information including a detailed meeting minute from July 23, 2024. | ||
| 2024-11-01 | DHSC staffing | All information sent |
| The request sought detailed staffing numbers, turnover, sickness data, and agency spending for the Isle of Man Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) from 2021 to 2024. The authority provided full staffing headcounts and agency expenditure data but refused the request for the original pre-2021 headcount agreement, citing that the information was not held. | ||
| 2024-09-09 | Temporary Workers Employed via Agencies | All information sent |
| The request sought the number of temporary workers employed via third-party agencies by the Department of Health and Social Care for 2023 and 2024, broken down by grade. The authority disclosed that only three such workers were engaged across both years, noting that their pay grades do not directly align with Public Services Commission scales. | ||
| 2024-09-02 | FoI Costs | All information sent |
| The request sought statistics on FOI responses over three financial years and details on staff handling these requests. The Department disclosed that 276 requests were responded to, with 207 involving practical refusals, and confirmed that while 54 staff members may be involved, only two EO grade coordinators manage the process as an additional duty. | ||
| 2024-07-15 | Children's services improvement board | All information sent |
| The requester asked for minutes and papers from the Children's Services Improvement Board from January 2024 to the present, and the Department of Health and Social Care disclosed all requested information. | ||
| 2024-05-02 | Nursing Agencies registered with Registrations and Inspections | All information sent |
| The request sought details on registered nursing agencies, investigation procedures for fee-paying nurses, and enforcement actions against unregistered agencies. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed two registered agencies, provided the enforcement policy document, and confirmed no enforcement actions have been taken in the last five years. | ||
| 2024-02-27 | Children's Services Improvement Board | All information sent |
| 2024-02-13 | Roads, footpaths and car park infrastructure on the hospital site . | All information sent |
| 2024-02-06 | Inspection of Nursery Schools and Kindergartens | All information sent |
| 2024-02-06 | staff sickness | All information sent |
| 2024-01-05 | Information regarding Braddan leisure centre development | All information sent |
| 2024-01-04 | Use of the hospital roads by Braddan Commissioners | All information sent |
| 2023-08-16 | Update on legal costs incurred at tribunal | All information sent |
| 2023-05-04 | Interview Board for the Appointment of Dr Ranson | All information sent |
| 2023-04-11 | Cost of legal proceedings | All information sent |
| 2022-11-29 | Body bags | All information sent |
| 2022-11-15 | Civil litigation payouts by DHSC. | All information sent |
| 2022-11-14 | Internet cameras | All information sent |
| 2022-11-09 | Medicinal Cannabis | All information sent |
| 2022-10-24 | Cost of DHSC | All information sent |
| 2022-09-09 | Unpublished Responses to FOIA Requests | All information sent |
| The request sought unpublished Freedom of Information responses from the Department of Health and Social Care, but the provided text contains a specific response regarding colonoscopy waiting times, monthly procedure statistics, and backlog reduction plans. | ||
| 2022-09-05 | Document Retention Policy | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the Department of Health and Social Care's current Document Retention Policy effective as of September 1, 2022. The authority disclosed two specific retention policies ratified in 2016 and 2019, noting that a broader review of departmental policies is currently underway. | ||
| 2022-08-22 | memorandum of agreement covid vaccinations | All information sent |
| The request sought a copy of the memorandum of agreement between the Crown Dependencies regarding the supply of COVID-19 vaccinations, and the Department of Health and Social Care disclosed the full document containing terms on ownership, risk, and compliance. | ||
| 2022-07-05 | waiting list for cataract operations | All information sent |
| A request was made for the number of patients waiting for cataract operations in the Isle of Man. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed the figure as of 1st April 2022 but advised the requester to contact Manx Care for more recent data due to the separation of policy and service delivery. | ||
| 2022-04-27 | CQC DPIA | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the Care Quality Commission Data Protection Impact Assessment (CQC DPIA) in PDF format. The Department of Health and Social Care responded that the document is already publicly available on their website and provided the download link. | ||
| 2021-06-16 | Pregnant and breastfeeding | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the specific data used by the Isle of Man government to advise that COVID-19 vaccines are safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women. The authority responded that the information was already reasonably accessible to the public and provided links to relevant guidance from the JCVI, MHRA, and other health bodies. | ||
| 2021-03-31 | Child Protection Register 2011 - 2021 | All information sent |
| The requester asked for annual statistics on children placed on the Child Protection Register in the Isle of Man from 2011 to 2021. The Department of Health and Social Care provided the requested data for each year, noting that figures represent children placed on a Child Protection Plan and that some children may have had multiple periods on the plan. | ||
| 2021-03-24 | Contracted UDA's and provider performances | All information sent |
| 2021-03-22 | Print spend | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care for print spending data with specific local suppliers between January 2020 and January 2021. The authority disclosed the net spend for each supplier, totaling over £111,000, with the majority spent on Mannin Media Group Ltd. | ||
| 2021-02-22 | Part time General Practitioners | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care regarding the number of practicing GPs in the Isle of Man, specifically focusing on part-time workers and their gender distribution. The authority disclosed that there are 103 GPs on the Performers List, provided a breakdown of part-time sessions by practice, and stated that 55% of part-time GPs are female. | ||
| 2021-01-25 | Information regarding Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing use for Isle of Man samples. | All information sent |
| The request sought details on PCR testing kits, sensitivity, accuracy, and error rates used in the Isle of Man. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed the manufacturer, cycle threshold, and accuracy percentages, but refused to provide specific figures for false positives and negatives citing lack of data. | ||
| 2021-01-21 | COVID-19 Testing Accuracy | All information sent |
| The requester asked for documentation on the specificity and sensitivity of COVID-19 testing procedures used on the Isle of Man in 2021. The Department of Health and Social Care responded by providing a document titled 'SARS-CoV-2 testing on the Isle of Man' and outlining the testing and notification process. | ||
| 2020-12-29 | Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Department of Health and Social Care for details on PPE spending, quantities, usage, and quality standards since the start of 2020. The authority disclosed the total cost, itemized quantities purchased and remaining, and confirmed that one delivery was rejected for not meeting standards. | ||
| 2020-12-28 | Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Men who have sex with Men (MSM) and blood donations. | All information sent |
| The request sought the number of HIV-positive residents on the Isle of Man and the status of legislation regarding blood donations from men who have sex with men (MSM). The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed that 40 people are currently under care for HIV and confirmed that new testing protocols adopted recently will allow for a re-evaluation of MSM donation laws in 2021. | ||
| 2020-12-14 | Complaints about midwives on the ward | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care for the number of complaints regarding midwives' conduct or attitude on the Jane Crookall Maternity Unit in 2020. The authority disclosed that there were 3 such complaints, all of which were addressed at the time. | ||
| 2020-12-03 | Consultation regarding GPs prescribing Cannabis | All information sent |
| The requester asked for details regarding an internal consultation with GPs about prescribing medical cannabis, specifically seeking the number of participants, questions asked, and responses. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed the full content of the consultation email, the voting results, and specific feedback comments from the GPs. | ||
| 2020-12-01 | GP private consultation in regard to prescribing Cannabis to patients | All information sent |
| The requester asked for information regarding a government consultation with GPs on prescribing medicinal cannabis. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed the content of an email sent to GPs and the resulting survey responses indicating low interest in prescribing. | ||
| 2020-11-23 | DHSC Annual Complaints Report 2017-2020 | All information sent |
| The requester asked for clarification on Nobles Hospital complaint figures, specifically regarding 'simple complaints' logged as concerns, and requested copies of DHSC policies and IRB report follow-ups. The authority responded by providing the full 'Complaints Policy and Guidance' document, which defines the distinction between formal complaints and informal concerns, but the provided text cuts off before answering the specific statistical questions or detailing IRB follow-up procedures. | ||
| 2020-11-19 | Processing and Handling of FOI Request 1538749 | All information sent |
| The requester sought internal correspondence and draft responses regarding a previous FOI request (1538749) submitted to the Department of Health and Social Care. The authority disclosed the requested information with redactions applied to third-party personal data. | ||
| 2020-11-11 | Anxiety Medication Prescriptions | All information sent |
| The Department of Health and Social Care provided a complete dataset of anxiety medication prescriptions in the Isle of Man from 2017 to 2020, detailing item counts and costs for both GP and hospital settings. | ||
| 2020-11-02 | Covid19 Testing | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Department of Health and Social Care for COVID-19 testing statistics as of the end of October 2020. The authority disclosed the total number of tests processed and the count of unique individuals tested. | ||
| 2020-10-19 | Medicinal Cannabis | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care for the number of medicinal cannabis prescriptions issued and their reasons since legalization. The authority responded that no prescriptions have been issued by the department to date. | ||
| 2020-10-19 | Specialist doctors for the prescribing of medicinal cannabis | All information sent |
| A request was made for the names and addresses of specialist doctors on the Isle of Man authorized to prescribe medicinal cannabis following its legalization. The Department of Health and Social Care responded that no such specialist doctors exist within the department. | ||
| 2020-09-17 | NHS Dentists | All information sent |
| The request sought the number of people on the NHS dental waiting list and average wait times in the Isle of Man. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed that 1,540 patients were waiting as of September 2020, with 59% waiting between 6 months and a year, largely due to COVID-19 practice closures. | ||
| 2020-08-24 | Primary care figure for ME costs & funding for ME service | All information sent |
| The request sought primary care costs for ME and details on Treasury funding for an ME service from 2016 onwards. The Department of Health and Social Care confirmed that £90,000 was ring-fenced annually since 2017/18 but disclosed that no permanent service was established due to recruitment difficulties and COVID-19 restrictions. | ||
| 2020-07-09 | Reports of Racism at Noble's Hospital | All information sent |
| A request was made for data on racism incidents, complaint procedures, and staff ethnicity at Noble's Hospital from 2011 to 2020. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed annual incident counts, detailed their disciplinary and training policies, and provided a breakdown of staff ethnicity based on voluntary self-declaration. | ||
| 2020-05-29 | Number of juveniles detained in Secure unit for Covid-19 offences | All information sent |
| The request sought the total number of juveniles detained at the Isle of Man Secure Unit for breaches of Emergency Powers Regulations 2020 related to COVID-19. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed that one young person was detained in the Secure Unit on two separate occasions, while others were held in non-secure facilities or bailed. | ||
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