Department of Health and Social Care
44 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 404.5%
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 (44)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-31 | Presentations or Briefings from Manx Care to the DHSC | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought presentations and briefings between Manx Care and the DHSC from January to February 2025, resulting in the disclosure of documents detailing the 2025-26 Mandate and Operating Plan, though some information was withheld under exemptions. | ||
| 2025-02-25 | MHK Statement | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought communications regarding a Manx Care statement accusing MHK Julie Edge of making incorrect claims about a Code Red incident at Noble's Hospital. The authority released internal emails showing Minister Claire Christian did not authorize the specific comments about Ms Edge, while redacting personal data and conduct-related information. | ||
| 2025-02-11 | Parentcraft Classes | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought correspondence regarding the decision to move parentcraft classes from face-to-face to an online model. The authority disclosed a parliamentary answer and supplementary information explaining the rationale for the change, though some internal correspondence was withheld under exemptions. | ||
| 2024-02-08 | Moderna bivalent COVID vaccine - 2022 Autumn rollout | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-09-21 | Indemnity documents relating to the covid-19 vaccine rollout | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-04-12 | Expol/Riela Terms of Reference | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-04-05 | Tribunal refusal | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-03-03 | External investigation - Dr Ranson | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-02-21 | Vaccination board | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-02-14 | Staff Query | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-01-31 | List of all DHSC bids to Treasury | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2022-12-05 | Medcincal Cannabis | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2022-03-28 | Legislation and Meeting Minutes regarding Medicinal Cannabis Pharmacy | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought legislation and meeting minutes regarding a planned Medicinal Cannabis Pharmacy in the Isle of Man. The authority disclosed extracts from Department of Health and Social Care meetings from 2020 and 2021 discussing import licensing, resource implications, and clinical risks, while noting the response was partially exempt. | ||
| 2022-02-15 | Legal costs at tribunal | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The requester asked for a detailed breakdown of legal costs and travel expenses for the Department of Health and Social Care regarding Dr Rosalind Ranson's tribunal. The authority disclosed the total accrued cost of £37,399 but withheld the specific breakdown of travel and accommodation as exempt personal data. | ||
| 2022-01-11 | Health Services Independent Review Body (IRB) Appointments Commission | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought correspondence between the Appointments Commission and the Department of Health and Social Care regarding the Independent Review Bodies from January 2020 onwards. The authority disclosed email chains and a draft letter detailing recruitment difficulties and potential legislative changes, though the outcome was marked as partially exempt. | ||
| 2021-03-22 | PCR CT | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The requester asked for PCR cycle thresholds, scientific advice on lockdowns, and risk assessments regarding face masks. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed two PPE risk assessment documents for healthcare staff but withheld information on PCR thresholds and specific scientific advisors, citing partial exemptions. | ||
| 2021-02-04 | St Andrews inspection | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The requester asked for the full external inspection report by St Andrews regarding Adult Learning Disabilities services. The Department of Health and Social Care provided the report but withheld specific sections containing personal data under an absolute exemption. | ||
| 2020-12-17 | Abortions | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought monthly abortion statistics for 2020 and details on off-island travel requirements. The authority disclosed the total number of terminations for the year and the clinical pathway for travel but withheld monthly breakdowns and specific locations to protect patient confidentiality. | ||
| 2020-06-30 | Complaints - DHSC | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought complaint statistics for specific medical specialties and clinician names from 2010 to 2020. The authority provided aggregated data for 2018-2020 but refused data for 2010-2018 due to system limitations and withheld clinician names citing personal data exemptions. | ||
| 2020-01-30 | National Health and Care Service Charter, cost cutting and complaints | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Department of Health and Social Care regarding the National Health and Care Service Charter, Executive Leadership Team pay, and complaint statistics. The authority partially fulfilled the request by providing links to public performance documents but exempted specific data on targets, pay grades, and complaint outcomes due to the substantial compilation required. | ||
| 2020-01-06 | General Medical Council revalidation for doctors. | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought the number of practicing doctors on the Isle of Man and reasons for those not revalidated within five years. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed the total doctor count and the number of non-revalidated practitioners but withheld the specific reasons due to personal data exemptions. | ||
| 2019-12-11 | Community Dental Services | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request was made for detailed staffing, salary, financial, and patient data regarding the Isle of Man Community Dental Services, to which the Department of Health and Social Care responded with a job description for a Community Dental Officer while withholding specific financial and individual salary information. | ||
| 2019-04-30 | Current prescribers on the Isle of Man | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The requester asked for a list of medical, dental, and nurse prescribers on the Isle of Man for 2018/2019. The Department of Health and Social Care confirmed such a list exists but refused to disclose it, citing security concerns regarding individual prescribers. | ||
| 2019-03-21 | GP Facts & Figures | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The requester asked for GP contracts, payment data from 2012, contract values, controlled drug prescriber lists, and complaint statistics. The Department of Health and Social Care provided a copy of the Standard General Medical Services Contract dated April 1, 2018, but withheld other specific data citing partial exemptions. | ||
| 2018-11-28 | Vacancy and resignation numbers | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought resignation statistics and reasons for Noble's Hospital since 2013, but the authority only provided a partial list of job advertisements for 2018, citing exemptions for the remaining data. | ||
| 2018-10-12 | Mental Health waiting list | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The requester asked for the number and reasons for cancelled mental health Step 1 and 2 appointments between January and October 2018. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed that 2,496 appointments were cancelled but refused to provide reasons for 1,040 of them due to practical refusal grounds. | ||
| 2018-08-14 | Dental Restorative Service | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request was made for details regarding the Dental Restorative Service provided by consultant Alison Qualtrough, including costs, patient numbers, and treatment breakdowns. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed the service start date, annual cost, travel arrangements, and patient statistics from 2016, but refused to provide treatment breakdowns due to the practical burden of compiling the data. | ||
| 2018-08-14 | Orthodontic Service at Nobles & National Clinical Assessment Service | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought details on the orthodontic budget and contracts for consultants at Nobles Hospital, resulting in the disclosure of total budget figures and contract types, while the specific annual cost of the consultant contract was withheld as it had not yet been calculated. | ||
| 2018-07-25 | Dental providers and UDA's | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The Department of Health and Social Care provided the total contracted UDAs and associated budget for 2018-2019, but withheld data on unachieved UDAs for 2016-2018 and disputed reimbursements due to commercial interest exemptions and pending publication. | ||
| 2018-07-23 | Crohns & Ulcerative Colitus - Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request was made for island-wide statistics on Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis to support an awareness campaign, but the Department of Health and Social Care could only provide data from Noble's Hospital due to privacy exemptions regarding children. | ||
| 2018-03-13 | NHS dental services on the Isle of Man | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request for data on NHS dental services in the Isle of Man was partially fulfilled, with the Department of Health and Social Care providing UDA contract numbers, average values, and completion percentages for specific years, while citing existing public availability for total contracted figures. | ||
| 2017-11-06 | Travel expenses | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request was made for travel statistics and costs for off-island flights and sailings in 2016/17, along with contract rates for airlines. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed the total numbers and costs for flights and sailings but withheld specific contract rates due to commercial confidentiality. | ||
| 2017-08-21 | MH Admin review | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The requester asked for the 2015/16 administrative support review report for the Mental Health Directorate at Noble Hospital. The Department of Health and Social Care released the full report but redacted personal data under Section 25 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015. | ||
| 2017-08-06 | Communication (emails, notes, text messages, documents) between your director of policy and Minister regarding reducing the eligibility of free prescriptions for Isle of Man residents | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request was made for communications between the Director of Policy and Minister Kate Beecroft regarding reducing free prescription eligibility, resulting in the release of some emails and notes while other documents were withheld due to exemptions. | ||
| 2017-07-30 | IRB 03 | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The Department of Health and Social Care conducted an internal review regarding training records, hospital data collection, and annual reports for the Independent Review Body (IRB). The authority confirmed it did not hold specific training evidence, clarified that the IRB is not subject to FOI, and directed the requester to online resources for annual reports. | ||
| 2017-07-30 | Nurses posts, admin posts and volunteer redundancies | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The Department of Health and Social Care provided detailed statistics on nursing and administrative post vacancies as of July 2017 but withheld individual voluntary redundancy data due to privacy exemptions, though a total payout figure was disclosed. | ||
| 2017-07-03 | Number of consultant, junior doctor and doctor posts and waiting times for operations | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought staffing numbers and vacancy rates for doctors at Noble's Hospital, operation waiting times, and a specific letter regarding the Chief Executive. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed staffing figures but refused to provide waiting times in the requested format or the letter citing personal data and public business exemptions. | ||
| 2017-06-23 | Noble's Hospital Administrative Review | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request was made for a 2015-2016 independent review of clinical administration staffing and processes at Noble's Hospital. The Department of Health and Social Care provided the report partially, withholding certain sections under statutory exemptions. | ||
| 2017-05-30 | Medical Negligence etc | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought details on medical negligence insurance and payment history for Noble's Hospital from 2007 to 2017. The Department of Health and Social Care confirmed self-insurance and disclosed annual settlement and cost figures from 2012/13 to 2016/17, while withholding pre-2011 data and individual cost breakdowns due to legal exemptions. | ||
| 2017-04-18 | Prison health | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request for information regarding the cost and tender process for medical services at the Isle of Man Prison was partially fulfilled. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed the tender timeline, the number of applicants, and the successful practice, but withheld specific annual costs citing commercial interest exemptions. | ||
| 2017-04-18 | Noble's records and dhs | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2017-02-13 | Cost spent on ME | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The requester asked for a comparison of spending on Myalgic Encephalopathy (ME) versus cancer, heart, and MS services over the last ten years, but the Department of Health and Social Care refused to provide this financial data as it would require creating new analysis. The authority disclosed that only 7 patients with a primary ME diagnosis were recorded in the last decade, totaling 32 bed days. | ||
| 2017-02-10 | Alcohol related admissions | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request for alcohol-related hospital admissions, treatment completion rates, and mortality statistics was partially fulfilled by the Isle of Man Department of Health and Social Care. While data on treatment completions was released, admission and mortality figures were withheld due to planned future publication. | ||
| 2017-01-30 | DASH | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A student nurse requested information on the closure of the DASH service, alcohol screening statistics, and alcohol-related appointments and crime. The Department of Health and Social Care provided historical screening data for 2014-15 but withheld information on DASH's closure, GP appointments, and crime due to lack of data holding, while exempting A&E data pending future publication. | ||