Department of Health and Social Care
644 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 27.6%
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 (644)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-08-30 | 'Bed blocking' on Medical and Elderly Wards at Nobles | All information sent |
| The requester asked about the extent and trends of 'bed blocking' on Medical and Elderly Wards at Noble's Hospital and any plans to address it. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed that the rolling average of delayed discharge patients across Noble's and Ramsey Hospitals is 10, with no impact on elective admissions or emergency capacity. | ||
| 2018-08-28 | Patient transport services | All information sent |
| The requester asked why Bus Vannin was selected over the Red Cross for patient transport services and whether the Red Cross offered free services. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed that the Red Cross bid exceeded the budget, leading to a cancelled tender and an agreement with Bus Vannin, while confirming the Red Cross did not provide free transport services. | ||
| 2018-08-20 | Operations | All information sent |
| The request sought data on cancelled pre-arranged operations and unoccupied hospital beds over a three-month period in 2018. The Department of Health and Social Care provided the requested statistics, noting that bed occupancy data was reported at 8pm rather than the requested 10pm. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2018-08-14 | 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. | ||
| 2018-06-29 | Orthodontic Procurement | All information sent |
| The requester asked for intention to tender documents regarding the 2017 Primary Care Orthodontic Services procurement, and the Department of Health and Social Care provided a full response including a guide to the competitive tender process and frequently asked questions. | ||
| 2018-06-18 | Number of available beds | All information sent |
| The requester asked for data on empty hospital beds at 8am and instances of inappropriate ward admissions over three months. The authority provided bed availability data for 7:30am but refused the 8am specific data and ward breakdown due to lack of routine collection, while confirming all patients were admitted to appropriate wards. | ||
| 2018-06-15 | dental patient charges | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the total amount of patient charges deducted from dentists' scheduled payments for the financial years 2015/2016, 2016/2017, and 2017/2018. The Department of Health and Social Care provided the specific total figures for each of these years in full compliance with the request. | ||
| 2018-06-11 | Salary Increases | All information sent |
| A request was made to estimate the cost of a 6.5% salary increase for all hospital staff based on current posts. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed an estimated annual cost of £4.1 million, noting that the figure depends on vacancy levels and staffing distribution. | ||
| 2018-06-11 | Ambulance calls for falls within the home | All information sent |
| A request was made for statistics on 999 ambulance calls for elderly residents falling at home, specifically asking for cases with no injury or hospital conveyance. The authority disclosed that age and exact location data are not captured, but provided total fall call statistics and the number of calls resulting in no conveyance for the period May 2017 to May 2018. | ||
| 2018-05-31 | Cost of gluten free foods on prescription | All information sent |
| The request sought the cost of gluten-free staple foods on prescription for financial years 2012/13 to 2017/18, including a breakdown by patient age. The Department of Health and Social Care provided cost data for 2013/14 to 2017/18 but stated that age-specific breakdowns could not be provided because the prescription pricing bureau does not collect demographic data. | ||
| 2018-05-29 | umbilical cords | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care regarding the current policy on umbilical cord clamping times after birth. The authority responded that no specific policy is held and the information is not routinely collected or audited. | ||
| 2018-05-15 | Care of Elderly | All information sent |
| A request was made for statistics on falls resulting in serious injury or death among elderly patients at Noble's Hospital within specific timeframes. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed five-year data showing 27 serious injuries and 2 deaths, with specific timing details for the fatalities. | ||
| 2018-05-15 | Organ Donation | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for annual statistics on organ donations to the UK over the past 10 years, broken down by organ type. The Department of Health and Social Care refused to provide the data directly, citing that the information was already reasonably accessible via a previous FOI publication. | ||
| 2018-05-14 | Vaccinations | Not required to fulfill request |
| A request was made for statistical data on the risk and incidence of 13 specific diseases in children under 5 in the Isle of Man since 2000. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request, stating that calculating risk figures is not possible due to complexity and that age-specific incidence data is not collected. | ||
| 2018-05-08 | Budget | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care for the previous financial year's spending and budget figures. The authority refused to disclose the information, citing that it is held for future publication and is not yet finalized. | ||
| 2018-04-27 | Nurses | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care for data on vacant nursing and care assistant posts at Nobles and Ramsey hospitals, as well as sickness absence figures. The authority disclosed all requested information, providing specific vacancy counts for March 2017 and April 2018, and the number of staff absent on April 1, 2018. | ||
| 2018-04-25 | Chemo Unit | Information not held |
| The requester asked for the reasons why the Department of Health and Social Care refused an offer from the Hospice to construct a dedicated chemo unit. The authority responded that no such offer was ever received, meaning no refusal occurred and the information is not held. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2018-04-20 | Noble's Hospital - consultants | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request to the Isle of Man Department of Health and Social Care sought data on consultant turnover, locum employment, and bowel surgery availability at Noble's Hospital. The authority disclosed full statistics on consultant departures over five years, confirmed seven current locum consultants, and verified that bowel surgery is performed locally. | ||
| 2018-04-20 | Mutual Agreed Resignation Scheme | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care for the total amount paid to employees under the Mutual Agreed Resignation Scheme in the last year. The authority disclosed the specific financial figures for the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 financial years, totaling £574,733.38. | ||
| 2018-04-20 | Whistleblowing policy at Noble's Hospital | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the whistleblowing policy at Noble's Hospital and whether it differs from other Isle of Man Government departments. The Department of Health and Social Care confirmed that a single policy applies to all government staff, including Noble's Hospital, and released the attached document. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2018-04-16 | Please reference 408233 | All information sent |
| The requester asked for a list of UK dentists practicing on the Isle of Man under GDS contracts and those working for the Department of Health and Social Care. The authority disclosed the names and details of two GDS contract providers but stated that information regarding departmental staff was already reasonably accessible via the FOI disclosure log. | ||
| 2018-04-13 | Organ Donation 2 | All information sent |
| The requester sought all communications, data, and meeting details regarding the Organ Donation Consultation between the Department of Health and Social Care and Mr Martyn Perkins MHK. The authority responded by sending an attached PDF document containing the requested information, with names of junior staff members redacted. | ||
| 2018-04-10 | Organ Donation | Upheld - full |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Department of Health and Social Care for detailed statistics and protocols regarding organ donation, harvesting, and transplantation over the preceding five years. The response provided in the text is a review letter confirming the request details and the review process, but it does not contain the actual statistical data or answers to the specific questions asked. | ||
| 2018-04-05 | Free Milk Scheme | All information sent |
| A request was made for the number of households and total volume of milk supplied under the Isle of Man's Free Milk Scheme in 2017. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed that 385 households were claiming benefits as of April 2018 and 115,228 pints of liquid milk were supplied in 2017. | ||
| 2018-04-04 | GP / Meds | All information sent |
| The request sought contracts, cost breakdowns, and complaint statistics for the Manx Emergency Doctors Service (MEDS) from 2014 to 2018. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed the contract template, detailed financial costs for GPs and locums, and specific complaint data for the requested periods. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2018-03-27 | GDS contracted UK qualification | All information sent |
| The request sought details on the qualifications of Isle of Man NHS dentists holding General Dentistry Service contracts, specifically asking for the number with UK qualifications and the countries of origin for others. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed a full list of 24 providers, confirming that 11 obtained their qualifications in the UK while providing the specific countries for the remainder. | ||
| 2018-03-13 | Contracted UDA's and provider performances | All information sent |
| 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. | ||
| 2018-03-12 | Information regarding underperformance of UDAs | All information sent |
| The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed detailed tables showing Units of Dental Activity (UDAs) contracted, completed, and achievement percentages for various dental providers across the 2014/2015, 2015/2016, and 2016/2017 financial years. The response also included specific year-end agreements regarding how providers addressed shortfalls, such as financial reimbursement or creating capacity for new NHS patients. | ||
| 2018-03-08 | names of the companies who have put in a bid for the tender of Family Placement Service. | Information not held |
| A request was made for the names of companies that bid for the Family Placement Service tender, but the Department of Health and Social Care responded that the information is not held because no Invitation to Tender was issued. | ||
| 2018-03-06 | Cardiac arrests statistics | All information sent |
| 2018-02-23 | numbers of social workers came and left the department in the last 10 years | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2018-02-20 | What was the total cost of the 8 folk who accepted Mars? | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Department of Health and Social Care for the total cost associated with eight individuals who accepted Mars. The authority responded by disclosing the total cost and the resulting annual savings. | ||
| 2018-02-10 | Staff accessing data | Information not held |
| 2018-02-08 | Radiographic Aide | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the banding points awarded to the Radiographic Aide post at Nobles Hospital under the Agenda for Change process. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed that the post scored 235 points, placing it within MPTC Band 3. | ||
| 2018-02-06 | Woodbourne Road Nursery | Information not held |
| A request was made regarding long-term plans and potential private leasehold takeover for the Woodbourne Road Children's center nursery. The Department of Health and Social Care refused to provide information, stating they do not hold it because the building and business are privately owned and operated. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2018-02-02 | MARS | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care regarding the number of employees who took MARS since its reintroduction in December 2017. The authority disclosed that 8 staff members had agreed to terminate their employment under the scheme by February 2018. | ||
| 2018-01-26 | Map of the Hospital | Information not held |
| A request was made for a map of Nobles Hospital and its environs showing ownership details, but the Department of Health and Social Care responded that they do not hold this information. | ||
| 2018-01-18 | HPV Vaccine | All information sent |
| The request sought annual HPV vaccination statistics, consent procedures, and adverse reaction reporting data for the Isle of Man since 2008. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed vaccination uptake rates from 2010 to 2016, clarified that Patient Information Leaflets are provided at the time of vaccination rather than beforehand, and explained that adverse reaction data is aggregated by the UK's MHRA and not returned to the local department. | ||
| 2018-01-16 | Staffing details | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the number of Acting Executive Officers and statistics on capability procedures within the Department of Health and Social Care. The authority refused to provide data on Acting Executive Officers due to database limitations but disclosed that 387 capability procedure cases have been recorded since 2014. | ||
| 2018-01-11 | Unauthorised Computer Access | All information sent |
| The request sought the number of Department of Health and Social Care employees facing disciplinary proceedings for unauthorized computer access since 2011. The authority disclosed data for 2013 to 2016 but refused to provide information for 2011 and 2012 due to database limitations. | ||
| 2018-01-10 | Drs reclassified as Consultants | All information sent |
| A request was made regarding the reclassification of doctors as consultants at Noble's Hospital and Royal College approvals. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed that no doctors were reclassified in the last 12 months, but four new consultant posts were created by converting locum expenditure. | ||
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