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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||
| 2017-07-03 | MHC Contract | Not required to fulfill request |
| The requester asked for the tender document, current contract, and recent payment details for Manx Home Care's cleaning services. The Department of Health and Social Care refused to disclose this information citing commercial sensitivity but provided the service specification instead. | ||
| 2017-07-03 | Endoscopy 1 | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Department of Health and Social Care for data on endoscopy operations at Nobles Hospital, including historical completion rates, current waiting list numbers, and future planned procedures. The authority responded by providing full disclosure of weekly statistics for the previous 12 weeks, the total number of patients waiting, and a schedule of booked and available slots for the upcoming 12 weeks. | ||
| 2017-07-03 | Metal Hip Replacements | All information sent |
| The Department of Health and Social Care provided data on the number of metal hip replacements performed on Manx residents for 2015, 2016, and part of 2017. The response clarified that these figures exclude metal-on-metal replacements, which are not performed locally but are followed up for patients who received them in the UK. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2017-06-07 | Patient Record for Transgenderism - Ambulance Service | Information not held |
| A request was made for information on how gender is recorded on Ambulance Service Patient Report Forms for a dissertation on transgenderism. The Department of Health and Social Care stated the information was not held and noted the request was invalid under the Freedom of Information Act 2015 because the requester was not an Isle of Man resident. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2017-05-23 | Orthodontic needs assessment | Upheld - partial |
| The requester asked for an orthodontic needs assessment and tender application form, but the Department of Health and Social Care refused to disclose them citing commercial interests. | ||
| 2017-05-23 | Communications with ICO relating to Digital Inclusion Strategy | Information not held |
| A request was made for emails between the Department of Health and Social Care and the Information Commissioner regarding the Digital Inclusion Strategy from May 2016 to May 2017. The authority responded that the information was not held as no such communications occurred during the specified period. | ||
| 2017-05-22 | Endoscopy, Sigmodoioscopy and Colonoscopy | All information sent |
| The Department of Health and Social Care responded to a request for endoscopy procedure volumes and waiting list statistics for Ramsey District Cottage Hospital and Noble's Hospital between April 2016 and March 2017. The authority disclosed all requested data, providing monthly breakdowns of procedures conducted and the total number of patients waiting. | ||
| 2017-05-16 | Use of latex at Noble's | All information sent |
| A request was made for information regarding the use of latex at Noble's Hospital, including policies on medical equipment and gloves. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed the full information by providing the 'Policy for the Management of Latex Allergy' and the 'Urethral Catheterisation' policy with highlighted latex references. | ||
| 2017-05-15 | Cost of Health Records Scanning and Cost of doctors using mthl | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the specific costs of scanning health records at Noble's Hospital and the cost of doctors using the MISL system. The Department of Health and Social Care refused to provide specific figures for both questions as the data was not held or could not be found, though they disclosed the total budget for the broader Digital Health Records Programme. | ||
| 2017-05-02 | Nurses pay bands | All information sent |
| The Department of Health and Social Care responded to a request for nurse, nursing manager, and student nurse pay grades by providing full salary scales for staff and clarifying that student nurses receive bursaries rather than pay grades. | ||
| 2017-04-27 | Orthodontic procurement | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care regarding the announcement date for primary care orthodontic services procurement. The authority refused the request stating they do not hold the information. | ||
| 2017-04-26 | Birth costs | All information sent |
| A request for birth statistics and costs on the Isle of Man was partially fulfilled, providing data on home and hospital births from 2014-2016 and referencing UK NHS tariffs for costs, while specific data on elective caesarean requests was withheld due to the practical refusal exemption. | ||
| 2017-04-21 | Radiology Staff | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request was made to the Isle of Man Department of Health and Social Care regarding the number and grades of staff working in the Radiology Department during the week commencing 17 April 2017. The authority responded by providing a detailed breakdown of staff numbers across various modalities, including general imaging, CT/MRI, nuclear medicine, and ultrasound. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2017-04-20 | Medical Records Scanning Tender | Information not held |
| A request was made for details regarding the medical records scanning tender, including the outcome, list of bidders, and tender values. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed that the outcome and bidder list are available online, but withheld the specific tender values citing commercial interests. | ||
| 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 |
| 2017-04-13 | 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. | ||
| 2017-04-10 | Orthodontic and Salaried Dental Services | All information sent |
| 2017-04-06 | Records retention and destruction FOI | Not upheld |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Department of Health and Social Care for details on records retention policies, destruction statistics, and senior management contacts. The authority disclosed the name of the senior records manager, provided multiple retention policies, and released aggregate destruction figures for 2014-2016, though full copies of destruction certificates were withheld. | ||
| 2017-04-03 | Nursing sickness and relocation packages | All information sent |
| The Department of Health and Social Care responded to a request for data on nursing sickness absence and details of relocation packages for nurses. The authority disclosed specific absence figures and outlined the financial incentives and accommodation support offered to attract staff to the Isle of Man, alongside comparisons with UK and Irish schemes. | ||
| 2017-03-07 | Salisbury Street | Not upheld |
| The request sought details on the tendering process for a care home on Salisbury Street, including the number of interested parties and contract terms. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed the timeline and participant numbers but withheld specific financial contract terms citing commercial sensitivity. | ||
| 2017-03-06 | Patient Transfers Taxi Tender | All information sent |
| The Department of Health and Social Care responded to a Freedom of Information request regarding the tender process for a patient transfer taxi service from Liverpool airport to hospitals, disclosing all requested documents including tender invitations and correspondence. | ||
| 2017-03-01 | CAMHS - SMT Minutes | All information sent |
| The Department of Health and Social Care responded to a request for CAMHS treatment numbers, waiting list data, total demand, and senior management minutes, disclosing most statistics but noting that some waiting list data was not held on a monthly basis. | ||
| 2017-02-28 | Cost to recruit staff | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Health and Social Care for the cost to recruit staff for Adult Learning Disabilities Services. The authority disclosed that the average total cost per individual recruit is £122.58, based on calculations involving advertising, interviewing, and administration. | ||
| 2017-02-23 | Number of Staff - DHSC, Noble's, 0-Hours, | Not upheld |
| A Freedom of Information request to the Isle of Man Department of Health and Social Care sought staff numbers for the department, Noble's Hospital, and zero-hours contracts, as well as data on qualified nursing staff. The authority disclosed total staff figures and zero-hours contract details but refused to provide specific numbers for qualified nursing staff due to data limitations. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2017-02-11 | Travel costs off Island | All information sent |
| The Department of Health and Social Care responded to a request for off-island healthcare costs and patient travel statistics for 2014-2017, providing full financial breakdowns and journey counts by financial year. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2017-02-09 | Residential Support Workers | Not upheld |
| The Department of Health and Social Care responded to a request for staff turnover data regarding Senior Residential Support Workers and Residential Support Workers in Adult Learning Disabilities Services between 2012 and 2017. The authority disclosed total turnover figures, current staff numbers, and a detailed breakdown of reasons for leaving, including resignations, retirements, and internal transfers. | ||
| 2017-02-09 | CRC advice/reccommendations Translarna 2016 | All information sent |
| The Department of Health and Social Care provided the Clinical Recommendations Committee's 2016 advice regarding the funding of Translarna for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The committee recommended the drug be classified as a low priority due to inadequate evidence for clinical and cost effectiveness. | ||
| 2017-02-01 | Mental Health Act | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request to the Isle of Man Department of Health and Social Care sought data on mental health patient suicides and complaint statistics. The authority disclosed annual suicide figures for patients and inpatients from 2012 to 2016, provided complaint data from 2011 to 2017, and noted that two legal questions were withdrawn by the requester. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2017-01-26 | Abortion | All information sent |
| The requester asked for documents provided to the Minister regarding the feasibility of amending the Isle of Man's Abortion legislation. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed a feasibility report titled 'Termination of Pregnancy (Medical Defences) Act 1995: Feasibility of an Amendment Bill during the 2017/18 legislative session'. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2017-01-20 | Request for Cost of Muscular Dystrophy Medication for one child for one year | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request for the annual cost of medication for a single child with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy on the Isle of Man was refused because disclosing the figure would identify a living individual. The authority cited an absolute exemption for personal information but provided a link to a related parliamentary review of the treatment. | ||
| 2017-01-19 | Request for Numerous Wheelchair Service Policies, Procedures and Processes | All information sent |
| The Department of Health and Social Care responded to a Freedom of Information request regarding wheelchair service policies, procedures, and repair processes by providing the full 'Eligibility Criteria and Provision of Wheelchairs and Specialist Seating' policy document. The response detailed specific repair timeframes, contractor information, and liability waiver procedures for decommissioned equipment. | ||
| 2017-01-10 | F1 Forms (Financial Assistance) | All information sent |
| The Department of Health and Social Care responded to a request for data on F1 financial assistance forms for dental and glasses, providing statistics on applications and fraud checks while noting that financial audits are held by the Treasury. | ||
| 2017-01-04 | Colonoscopy Waiting List - Nobles | All information sent |
| The Department of Health and Social Care responded to a request for data on the colonoscopy waiting list, providing the total number of patients, a breakdown by waiting duration, average wait times for different clinical categories, and monthly procedure statistics for the previous six months. | ||
| 2017-01-02 | Mental Health services for ex-service personnel | Some information sent but not all held |
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