Department of Health and Social Care
97 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 183.5%
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 (97)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2020-06-30 | Research and Development Manager | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester sought recruitment details for a Research and Development Manager role at the Department of Health and Social Care, but the authority disclosed a job description for a 'Research and Development Fellow' instead, noting that not all requested information was held. | ||
| 2020-06-09 | Influenza and Covid cases and deaths | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for total cases, deaths, and recoveries for Covid-19 and Influenza over the last five years. The Department of Health and Social Care stated it does not hold the requested influenza statistics, citing a practical refusal, but provided limited hospital admission data for Nobles Hospital while directing the requester to the Cabinet Office for official mortality and disease statistics. | ||
| 2020-05-14 | Death rate after inpatient stay in mental health clients | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for the number of individuals aged 60 or under who died after being inpatients at a mental health facility in 2015. The Department of Health and Social Care stated it does not hold complete records but disclosed that it is aware of 11 such deaths as of June 2020. | ||
| 2020-05-13 | vaccine costs | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request for total vaccine costs, issuance numbers, and specific pricing data for the Isle of Man over three years was partially fulfilled, with total costs disclosed but detailed administration and manufacturer data withheld as not held by the authority. | ||
| 2020-05-01 | Number of Island Residents using Patients Transfer. | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought statistics on patients transferred off the Isle of Man by air between February and April 2020, including those traveling for cancer treatment. The authority disclosed the total number of air transfers but refused to provide cancer-specific data due to the substantial compilation of information required. | ||
| 2020-04-08 | Doctors pay within public and private sector | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for a spreadsheet detailing the income of top-paid doctors and the number of doctors on each wage scale in both public and private sectors. The Department of Health and Social Care provided current public sector pay scales but refused to disclose the number of doctors on each scale, citing that creating this data would require deriving information not currently held. | ||
| 2020-03-16 | stress and anxiety related prescriptions national trend | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought patient prescription numbers for stress and anxiety medications by dose over five years and a comparison with other jurisdictions. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed aggregate item counts and costs for antidepressants, hypnotics, and proton pump inhibitors but refused to provide patient-specific data or international comparisons due to data limitations. | ||
| 2020-03-12 | Drug death and suicide rates | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for annual statistics on suicide, drug deaths, and alcohol-related deaths from 2014 to 2019, plus ICD-10 categorization details. The Department of Health and Social Care provided rolling 3-year rate statistics for the requested causes of death but stated they did not hold the specific ICD-10 scenario information. | ||
| 2020-02-28 | CAMHS & Adult Services | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for statistics on adolescents refused adult mental health services and the policies authorizing such refusals. The Department of Health and Social Care responded with an operational policy document but stated that not all requested information was held. | ||
| 2020-02-24 | Western Wellbeing Partnership | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for patient numbers, cost breakdowns, complaint procedures, privacy assessments, and data sharing agreements regarding the Western Wellbeing Partnership. The authority disclosed a Data Sharing Agreement but indicated that not all requested information was held. | ||
| 2020-01-17 | Accute Mental Health Unit patient admissions and bereavements | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for admission and mortality statistics for the Isle of Man's Acute Mental Health Units since 2014. The Department of Health and Social Care provided admission and death figures but refused to disclose data on terminally ill patients as it is not collated. | ||
| 2019-09-23 | Mental Health waiting list cancellations. | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for data on mental health appointment cancellations between October 2018 and September 2019 and the outcomes of previously rescheduled appointments. The Department of Health and Social Care provided detailed cancellation statistics but refused the request for rescheduling outcomes as that data is not collated. | ||
| 2019-09-16 | Disclosure Log - Mental Health Inquiry | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked about FOI publication practices and sought copies of mental health treatment plan templates following a recent inquiry. The authority responded by providing detailed Anxiety and Bipolar Affective Disorder pathway templates based on NICE guidelines, though the response text does not explicitly address the questions regarding publication policies. | ||
| 2019-08-19 | Hospital beds | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for details regarding the replacement of 265 hospital beds, including costs, reports, disposal, and staff expenses. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed the purchase cost and disposal details but could not provide the recommendation report or staff costs as they were not held. | ||
| 2019-07-15 | Adult Social Care information request | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request for information on Adult Social Care supported living providers, waiting lists, service models, and budgets was partially fulfilled by the Department of Health and Social Care. The authority disclosed details on provider numbers and service structures but stated that some requested data, including specific complaint statistics and budget figures, was not held. | ||
| 2019-07-09 | Visit Report Surgical Specialities and Care of People with Cancer 2015 | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for a breakdown of quality standards met by Nobles Hospital following a 2015 report, but the Department of Health and Social Care only provided an aggregate improvement figure, citing that the specific breakdown would require creating new information. | ||
| 2019-07-01 | Waiting list and patients not sleeping on wards in the last 6 weeks | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2019-06-21 | Data on child social care | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for data on complaints regarding inaccurate social worker reports and related legal actions over the last 24 months. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed statistics on complaints but refused to provide data on refusals to correct reports, court usage of inaccurate reports, or disciplinary actions, citing that the information was not held or would require creating new data. | ||
| 2019-05-27 | Pancreatic cancer and pancreaticoduodenectomy | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for statistics on pancreaticoduodenectomy referrals, costs, and patient outcomes in the Isle of Man between 2014 and 2018. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed that only three such surgeries were performed, all at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, but refused to provide referral numbers or costs as the data was not held in a reportable format. | ||
| 2019-04-01 | Kensington Group Practice | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request for staffing, appointment availability, and financial data for Kensington Group Practice was partially fulfilled by the Department of Health and Social Care. While current GP numbers and appointment policies were disclosed, historical data on emergency appointments and waiting times were withheld as they are not held in the requested format. | ||
| 2019-03-27 | Adoption numbers | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought statistics on Isle of Man adoptions and foster care placements over the last five years. The Department of Health and Social Care provided specific adoption figures and current foster care numbers but could not supply data on non-resident children adopted by islanders registered with external agencies. | ||
| 2019-01-23 | Endowment Committees | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for a list of existing Endowment Committees, their balances, and their disbursement amounts for 2018. The Department of Health and Social Care provided the list of committees but stated it did not hold financial data for these independent charities. | ||
| 2019-01-22 | Waiting times for GP appointments | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for average GP appointment waiting times per practice for each quarter of 2018, but the Department of Health and Social Care stated it did not hold data in that specific format. Instead, the authority provided a snapshot of next available urgent and routine appointment times for various practices as of January 2019. | ||
| 2019-01-07 | Oncology | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for the total cost and contractor details regarding the conversion of Ward 5 for an oncology unit. The authority disclosed the current funding figure and the appointed contractor but noted that the final total cost cannot be determined until the works are completed. | ||
| 2019-01-07 | Diabetes costs for Individual Appointments, Annual Reviews and Pump Supplies | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought specific costs for diabetes appointments and Animas pump supplies at Nobles Hospital. The authority disclosed estimated appointment costs and annual consumable ranges but refused to provide a specific cost for annual reviews as the data was not held separately. | ||
| 2018-12-28 | Menopause | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for data on menopause diagnoses by age and HRT prescription comparisons with NHS averages, but the authority only provided HRT prescription item counts and costs for gels, patches, and tablets for the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 financial years. | ||
| 2018-11-22 | Deaths before discharge | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for data on deaths before discharge and injuries extending discharge dates at Nobles Hospital over five years. The authority disclosed the number of deaths with expected discharge dates but stated it does not hold data on injuries extending discharge dates or ward-specific breakdowns. | ||
| 2018-11-21 | MS patients | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request for comprehensive Multiple Sclerosis statistics in the Isle of Man since 1990 was partially fulfilled, with the Department of Health and Social Care providing data from 2007 onwards based on hospital records while refusing pre-2007 data and specific village-level breakdowns. | ||
| 2018-08-20 | Applications to Foster | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for the number of potential foster carers who voluntarily withdrew from the process between August 2015 and August 2018. The Department of Health and Social Care stated it does not hold this specific data because fostering services are delivered by a contracted provider, but provided alternative statistics on initial enquiries, visits, applications, training, and approvals for 2016-2018. | ||
| 2018-04-20 | Registered patients | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought patient registration figures for all GP and dentist surgeries on the Isle of Man. The authority provided total GP patient numbers by practice as of April 2018 but could not provide dentist figures because patients are not registered with dentists under the current commissioning model. | ||
| 2018-04-18 | Dental x-rays and opgs | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for annual statistics on dental x-rays taken under the GDS contract from 2013 to date. The Department of Health and Social Care provided specific figures for Nobles Hospital but stated that data for Primary Care Commissioned Services is not held by the department. | ||
| 2018-03-27 | Unpublished FOI requests | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for monthly statistics on FOI requests received, refused, answered, and published by the Department of Health and Social Care over the last 12 months. The authority provided aggregate totals for the period but refused to break down the data by month, citing that they are not obliged to create information. | ||
| 2018-02-23 | numbers of social workers came and left the department in the last 10 years | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2018-02-06 | HPV Vaccination | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request for information regarding HPV vaccination safety, adverse reactions, and cervical cancer statistics on the Isle of Man was partially fulfilled, with the Department of Health and Social Care confirming no compensation funds or legal awards exist while citing data limitations for other queries. | ||
| 2017-10-08 | Patient transfers; Contract - Minster's company | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for statistics on patient transfers to the UK and details regarding a contract with Manx Home Care, a company where the Minister is a director. The Department of Health and Social Care provided transfer statistics but stated they did not hold the requested contract files, suggesting the Treasury be contacted instead. | ||
| 2017-08-29 | Prescribing of Statins | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request for detailed data on statin prescribing, costs, and patient volumes in the Isle of Man was partially fulfilled, with information provided for primary care and hospital outpatients but withheld for inpatients and specific cost breakdowns due to data limitations. | ||
| 2017-08-18 | prescriptions issued | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for prescription statistics and patient counts for specific age groups in the Isle of Man between March 2016 and April 2017. The Department of Health and Social Care provided data on patient numbers and total prescriptions issued but refused to disclose the specific number of individuals who paid for prescriptions, citing the cost of compilation. | ||
| 2017-08-14 | Cost of TT | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request for costs related to the 2017 Isle of Man TT and Festival of Motorcycling was partially fulfilled by the Department of Health and Social Care, which disclosed medical staffing and bed costs but stated it did not hold data on rescue helicopter expenses. | ||
| 2017-08-10 | cannabis licenses issued | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for details on cannabis licenses and end-of-life policies in the Isle of Man. The Department of Health and Social Care confirmed no cannabis licenses were issued but could not provide specific hospice policies as the hospice is a private charity, though they shared a joint end-of-life care document. | ||
| 2017-08-03 | retention schedules | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for data on record retention schedules and detailed information regarding the MediViewer digital health project at Nobles Hospital. The Department of Health and Social Care issued a revised response correcting an error on retention data and provided partial information on record destruction, while withholding other requested project details. | ||
| 2017-07-28 | Indemnity | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for details regarding the Isle of Man Government's medical and dental indemnity providers and associated costs from 2011 to present. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed that it self-insures, meaning no external companies are used and no annual costs are paid to insurers. | ||
| 2017-07-06 | Endoscopy 2 | Some information sent but not all held |
| The Department of Health and Social Care provided endoscopy procedure statistics for Noble's Hospital and Ramsey, along with costs for UK-based procedures, but refused to disclose the specific usage count of transferred equipment due to practical limitations. | ||
| 2017-04-21 | Radiology Bank Staff | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for details on bank staff usage and costs in the Radiology section for the week commencing 17 April 2017. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed the number and roles of staff used but refused to provide cost data as it had not yet been processed. | ||
| 2017-04-13 | Referrals | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request for detailed statistics on children's social services referrals and child protection plans in the Isle of Man for 2016/17 was partially fulfilled, with some data withheld because it was not held in the specific format requested. | ||
| 2017-04-12 | Implementation plan, digital records and training | Some information sent but not all held |
| The Department of Health and Social Care partially fulfilled a request for implementation plans, digital record policies, and training statistics, providing specific documents for the Mental Health division and internal training data while refusing requests for non-existent policies and external accredited training records. | ||
| 2017-01-22 | Request for Mental Health Screening Policy for ASD at HMP Jurby | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for mental health screening policies and statistics regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at HMP Jurby. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed that no routine screening or specific policies exist for ASD, refused to provide historical prisoner statistics citing lack of data, and supplied the mental health management structure chart. | ||
| 2017-01-02 | Mental Health services for ex-service personnel | Some information sent but not all held |
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