Department of Health and Social Care
271 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 65.7%
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 (271)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-08-09 | Informed Consent | Information not held |
| A request for the full nucleotide base sequences of approved COVID vaccines and data on spike protein biodistribution, half-life, and toxicity was made to the Isle of Man Department of Health and Social Care. The authority responded that the information is not held, citing a practical refusal reason under Section 11(3)a of the Freedom of Information Act 2015. | ||
| 2021-08-09 | Differentiating between variants | Information not held |
| A request was made for details on the SARS-CoV-2 variant differentiation testing process and virus isolates, but the Department of Health and Social Care refused to provide the information. | ||
| 2021-08-02 | Covid 19 | Information not held |
| A request was made for the number of vaccinated and unvaccinated people hospitalized with Covid-19 as of August 2, 2021. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request, stating they do not hold the information as it is likely held by Manx Care following a structural redesign. | ||
| 2021-07-26 | Covid statistics ratio vaccinated & unvaccinated | Information not held |
| The requester asked for June and July 2021 statistics on COVID-19 positive cases broken down by vaccination status. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request, stating they do not hold the information as it is likely held by Manx Care following a 2021 restructuring. | ||
| 2021-07-23 | Nobles Hospital | Information not held |
| A request was made for a 10-year breakdown of patient admissions to Nobles Hospital for specific conditions including strokes, heart issues, and miscarriages. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request, stating they do not hold the information as it is likely held by Manx Care following a 2021 restructuring. | ||
| 2021-07-23 | Nobles Hospital | Information not held |
| The requester asked for patient admission statistics for six specific medical categories from 2010 to July 2021. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request, stating they do not hold the information as it is likely held by Manx Care following a 2021 restructuring. | ||
| 2021-07-19 | Vaccines | Information not held |
| The requester asked for vaccination percentages by age and vulnerability brackets, but the Department of Health and Social Care stated the specific data was not held. Instead, the authority directed the requester to a public dashboard and provided formulas to calculate the percentages themselves. | ||
| 2021-07-19 | Hospitals | Information not held |
| The requester asked for hospital bed capacity levels and long-term patient stay statistics at Noble's Hospital for early 2021. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request, stating they do not hold the information as it is likely held by Manx Care following a 2021 restructuring. | ||
| 2021-07-14 | hospital Admissions Jan20-July21 | Information not held |
| The requester asked for monthly hospital admission statistics and reasons for Nobles Hospital from January 2020 to June 2021. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request, stating they do not hold the information as it is likely held by Manx Care following a 2021 restructuring. | ||
| 2021-06-21 | Hospitalisation due influenza | Information not held |
| The requester asked for 15 years of data on hospitalizations and deaths from influenza and pneumonia, but the Department of Health and Social Care refused the request stating the information is not held by them. | ||
| 2021-06-16 | How many died with covid 'vaccine' | Information not held |
| The requester asked for the number of deaths and certified causes of death for vaccinated individuals in the Isle of Man between January and June 2021. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request, stating they do not hold the information as it is likely held by Manx Care following a 2021 restructuring. | ||
| 2021-06-08 | Brain Haemorrhage/Aneurysm Data | Information not held |
| A request was made for detailed statistics on brain haemorrhage and aneurysm admissions at Nobles Hospital over the last five years, including mortality rates and transfers to the Walton Centre. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request, stating the information is not held due to a recent organizational restructuring. | ||
| 2021-06-03 | Independent reviewing officers | Information not held |
| The requester asked for yearly statistics on independent reviewing officers employed by and leaving the Department of Health and Social Care between 2011 and 2020, including their prior social work experience. The Department responded that it does not hold this information because social care services were transferred to Manx Care following a system redesign on 1 April 2021. | ||
| 2021-05-03 | Child protection | Information not held |
| A request was made for annual statistics on children who were not placed on the child protection register between 2009 and 2021. The Department of Health and Social Care responded that the information is not held, noting that responsibility for Children's Social Care transferred to Manx Care in April 2021. | ||
| 2021-04-23 | Covid returning passengers | Information not held |
| A request was made for the number of passengers who tested positive for Covid-19 while isolating after traveling to the Isle of Man. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request, stating they do not hold the information as it is likely held by Public Health within the Cabinet Office. | ||
| 2021-04-13 | Deaths within 28 days of Covid test | Information not held |
| The requester asked for the number of deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test and within 28 days of Covid vaccination doses. The Department of Health and Social Care responded that it does not hold this information, stating it is likely held by Public Health and Manx Care respectively. | ||
| 2021-04-12 | Vaccine damage payments | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Department of Health and Social Care for the number of families receiving vaccine damage payments between 2010 and 2019. The authority responded that the information is not held because the scheme is administered by the UK Department for Work and Pensions. | ||
| 2021-04-12 | Pregnancy questions | Information not held |
| A request was made for statistics on inductions, C-sections, and infant deaths between 2018 and 2020, along with drug details. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request because the information is held by Manx Care. | ||
| 2021-04-09 | Deaths within 28 days of receiving the Pfizer or Astra Zeneca Vaccine | Information not held |
| A request was made for statistics on deaths within 28 days of receiving Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines on the Isle of Man, including age breakdowns. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request, stating the information is not held by them and may be held by Manx Care. | ||
| 2021-04-08 | COVID-19 vaccination adverse events leading to hospitalisation | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care for the number of hospital admissions in the Isle of Man due to adverse COVID-19 vaccination effects between November 2020 and April 2021. The authority responded that the information is not held and suggested re-submitting the request to Manx Care. | ||
| 2021-04-08 | PCR test cycle threshold | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care regarding the PCR cycle threshold for SARS-CoV-2 detection, but the information was not held by the department as it is managed by Manx Care. | ||
| 2021-04-07 | Manx Care Executive Management Team | Information not held |
| A request was made for the membership, organizational chart, and job descriptions of the Manx Care Executive Management Team. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request because the information is held by Manx Care, not the Department. | ||
| 2021-03-08 | Covid asymptomatic cases | Information not held |
| 2021-03-05 | Influenza Numbers 2016-2021 | Information not held |
| A request was made for influenza case numbers in the Isle of Man from 2016 to 2021, but the Department of Health and Social Care responded that they do not hold this information. | ||
| 2021-03-04 | Contact tracing app | Information not held |
| A request was made for documents regarding a contact tracing app decision and the number of contact tracers, but the Department of Health and Social Care stated they do not hold this information. | ||
| 2021-02-09 | Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care for the number of symptomatic individuals among 434 positive PCR Covid-19 cases. The authority refused to provide the information, stating it is not held by them and is instead managed by the Cabinet Office's Public Health team. | ||
| 2021-02-08 | Vaccine refusal | Information not held |
| The requester asked for statistics on COVID-19 vaccine refusals broken down by invitation category, but the Department of Health and Social Care stated they do not hold this data as it is maintained by individual GP practices. | ||
| 2021-01-29 | Estimated economic burden to Island's health service via CVD/Cancer. | Information not held |
| A request was made for the estimated economic burden of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer on the Isle of Man's health service, including direct costs, productivity losses, and informal care. The Department of Health and Social Care responded that the information is not held and cannot be found after reasonable steps. | ||
| 2021-01-18 | COVID 19 case details | Information not held |
| The requester asked for details on whether seven specific COVID-19 cases in isolation on 17 January 2021 were household contacts or community contacts. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request stating they do not hold the information, which is instead held by Public Health within the Cabinet Office. | ||
| 2021-01-18 | Children admitted to hospital for malnutrition | Information not held |
| The requester asked for statistics on children admitted to hospital for malnutrition and those placed on child protection registers due to poverty between 2018 and 2021. The Department of Health and Social Care responded that it does not hold this information, citing practical refusal reasons under the Freedom of Information Act. | ||
| 2021-01-18 | National Insurance & Health Care | Information not held |
| The requester asked the Department of Health and Social Care to explain the health and other services provided in exchange for National Insurance payments. The department refused the request stating they do not hold the information and directed the requester to the Department of Treasury. | ||
| 2021-01-11 | FOI request for 2020 Data for Notifiable Diseases | Information not held |
| A request was made for anonymised statistics on notifiable infectious diseases on the Isle of Man from 2015 to January 2021, specifically asking for COVID-19 to be segregated from other SARS cases. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request stating they do not hold the information, noting it is held by the Cabinet Office instead. | ||
| 2021-01-07 | All cause mortality numbers for last 10 years | Information not held |
| A request was made for all-cause mortality figures for Manx residents from 2010 to 2020 with monthly breakdowns, but the Department of Health and Social Care refused to provide the data as they do not hold it. | ||
| 2020-12-23 | Keyworker pathways | Information not held |
| The requester asked for all documents, versions, and approval processes regarding Keyworker pathways for border exemptions during the pandemic. The Department of Health and Social Care responded that they do not hold the requested information, citing a practical refusal, but noted that the Cabinet Office likely holds the data and provided a specific risk mitigation pathway for health and social care workers. | ||
| 2020-12-17 | Independence of the Independent Review Body for health complaints Part 1 | Information not held |
| The requester asked the Department of Health and Social Care to classify the Independent Review Body (IRB) as a public body and provide correspondence regarding its independence from the Tynwald Ombudsman. The authority responded that the requested information is not held. | ||
| 2020-12-03 | IOM Primary Schools - Overweight and Obese Pupil Data | Information not held |
| The requester sought primary school pupil obesity data for years 2015-2020 and benchmarking figures, but the Department of Health and Social Care refused the request stating they do not hold the information. | ||
| 2020-11-30 | Request for copies of the ACMD Annual Reports | Information not held |
| The requester asked for ACMD Annual Reports from 2013 to 2020, but the Department of Health and Social Care refused the request stating they do not hold the information. | ||
| 2020-11-20 | Government payments to the Media | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care for details on government payments to media organizations since March 2020. The department responded that it does not hold this information and suggested contacting the Cabinet Office instead. | ||
| 2020-11-02 | Anonymous letter from press conference 30 October 2020. | Information not held |
| A requester sought a copy of an anonymous letter read by the Minister at a press conference on 30 October 2020 regarding staff morale and media coverage of the testing regime. The Department of Health and Social Care responded that the information was not held because the original document had been destroyed. | ||
| 2020-07-27 | R&I Unit Enforcement Policy and Procedure | Information not held |
| The requester asked for the R&I Unit's procedure for urgent suspension of adult care homes and the associated intervention plan under Section 89 of ROCA 2013. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request, stating that no internal procedure exists as actions are taken on an individual basis, and the intervention plan is created and held by the care provider, not the Department. | ||
| 2020-05-13 | Imuvac vaccine | Information not held |
| The applicant requested quantity, cost, and invoice details for Imuvac vaccine supplies over the last three years. The Department of Health and Social Care responded that they do not hold this information because GP practices purchase vaccines individually. | ||
| 2020-05-01 | Suicide rates 2020 | Information not held |
| A request was made for monthly suicide statistics for the first four months of 2020, but the Department of Health and Social Care responded that they do not hold this information. | ||
| 2020-03-30 | Deaths per annum | Information not held |
| A request was made for detailed annual death statistics on the Isle of Man, including breakdowns by month, location, age, and specific causes like flu and pneumonia. The Department of Health and Social Care responded that they do not hold this information and therefore could not disclose it. | ||
| 2019-12-08 | Vaccine damage payments | Information not held |
| The requester asked for statistics on vaccine damage payments made by the Isle of Man government since 2010, but the Department of Health and Social Care stated it does not hold this information. | ||
| 2019-12-04 | Cost of a lunch at Nobles Hospital | Information not held |
| A request was made for the average cost of a patient lunch at Nobles Hospital, broken down by ingredients and cooking costs. The Department of Health and Social Care responded that the information is not held and could not be calculated. | ||
| 2019-11-25 | Vehicles provided. | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care for the number of vehicles provided to disabled social service customers, but the authority responded that the information is not held. | ||
| 2019-11-11 | Vehicles provided by the DHSC. | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care regarding the number of motor vehicles provided to disabled customers, but the authority responded that the information is not held. | ||
| 2019-09-16 | Nursing home costs | Information not held |
| A request was made for the annual cost of nursing home beds including capital and medication expenses, but the Department of Health and Social Care refused to provide the information. | ||
| 2019-08-12 | Food | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care regarding a daily meal allowance for patients at Noble's Hospital. The authority responded that no such monetary allowance exists, as dietary needs are managed individually rather than through a fixed per-patient budget. | ||
| 2019-04-03 | Chemists | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care for the average pay of chemists and their average profit on medications. The authority refused to provide the information, stating it was not held and would require the creation of new data. | ||
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