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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-12-13 | Number of Patient Transfers in the since January 1st | Information not held |
| 2022-12-09 | KM&T Reports | Information not held |
| 2022-12-08 | Cost of wasted Covid PPE | Information not held |
| 2022-12-07 | Costs and contracts for Covid-19 PPE | Not required to fulfill request |
| 2022-12-05 | Medcincal Cannabis | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2022-11-29 | Body bags | All information sent |
| 2022-11-24 | Cost of air ambulance services | Information not held |
| 2022-11-15 | Tecfidera Medication also known as Dimethyl fumarate | Information not held |
| 2022-11-15 | Civil litigation payouts by DHSC. | All information sent |
| 2022-11-15 | Tenders for janitorial supplies | Information not held |
| 2022-11-14 | Internet cameras | All information sent |
| 2022-11-10 | Data on children/adolescent mental health | Information not held |
| 2022-11-09 | Medicinal Cannabis | All information sent |
| 2022-11-07 | Policing the COVID-19 Regulations | Information not held |
| 2022-10-24 | Cost of DHSC | All information sent |
| 2022-10-03 | Primary Care Service reviews and CQC report Ramsey Group Practise | Information not held |
| The requester asked for Primary Care Service reviews and a CQC report regarding Ramsey Group Practise, but the Department of Health and Social Care stated it does not hold this information. | ||
| 2022-09-27 | how many of the people who died of covid were vaccinated | Information not held |
| The requester asked for the number of vaccinated individuals among those who died of COVID-19 in 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 Manx Care following a 2021 service redesign. | ||
| 2022-09-09 | Unpublished Responses to FOIA Requests | All information sent |
| The request sought unpublished Freedom of Information responses from the Department of Health and Social Care, but the provided text contains a specific response regarding colonoscopy waiting times, monthly procedure statistics, and backlog reduction plans. | ||
| 2022-09-05 | Document Retention Policy | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the Department of Health and Social Care's current Document Retention Policy effective as of September 1, 2022. The authority disclosed two specific retention policies ratified in 2016 and 2019, noting that a broader review of departmental policies is currently underway. | ||
| 2022-09-05 | DHSC Complaints report 2021/22 | Information not held |
| A request was made for the DHSC health complaints report for the year ended 31 March 2022, but the Department of Health and Social Care responded that the information is not held. | ||
| 2022-08-29 | Cost of legal proceedings | Repeated request |
| The requester asked for a breakdown of legal costs for the DHSC v Ranson High Court appeal, but the Department of Health and Social Care refused to provide the information because it was deemed a repeated request made shortly after a previous one. | ||
| 2022-08-29 | Cost of legal proceedings | Information not held |
| 2022-08-29 | Cost of private investigators | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2022-08-22 | memorandum of agreement covid vaccinations | All information sent |
| The request sought a copy of the memorandum of agreement between the Crown Dependencies regarding the supply of COVID-19 vaccinations, and the Department of Health and Social Care disclosed the full document containing terms on ownership, risk, and compliance. | ||
| 2022-08-08 | Information on number of cases | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for a breakdown of medical negligence cases against Nobles Hospital over five years, including reasons and judgments for successful claims. The Department of Health and Social Care could not provide case counts or details but disclosed the total costs awarded for successful claims between 2019 and 2022. | ||
| 2022-08-04 | Cost of Ronaldsway Covid-19 Vaccine Hub | Information not held |
| A request for detailed construction, running, staffing, and removal costs of the Ronaldsway Covid-19 Vaccine Hub was largely refused because the Department of Health and Social Care does not hold the specific data. The authority cited that costs were aggregated across all hubs and could not be derived without creating new information, though it provided estimated figures from a previous request. | ||
| 2022-07-05 | waiting list for cataract operations | All information sent |
| A request was made for the number of patients waiting for cataract operations in the Isle of Man. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed the figure as of 1st April 2022 but advised the requester to contact Manx Care for more recent data due to the separation of policy and service delivery. | ||
| 2022-06-23 | NHS dental patients ejected from dental practices | Information not held |
| The requester asked for a list of NHS dental patients refused services and the reasons for refusal by practice. The Department of Health and Social Care responded that the information is not held by them and is likely held by Manx Care. | ||
| 2022-06-23 | Complaints made about NHS Dental practices | Information not held |
| The requester asked for a list of complaints regarding NHS dental practices, including specific details on pricing and actions taken. 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. | ||
| 2022-06-16 | Lung Cancer Statistics | Information not held |
| A request was made for lung cancer statistics including patient numbers, mortality, and survivability rates, but the Department of Health and Social Care refused to provide the information as it is not held by them. | ||
| 2022-05-03 | dr tinwell bribery with NDA | Neither confirm or deny information held |
| The requester asked for settlement costs and details regarding 'without prejudice' negotiations in the Dr Tinwell employment tribunal, alleging unfair legal funding practices. The Department of Health and Social Care refused to confirm or deny holding the information, citing an absolute exemption for personal data. | ||
| 2022-04-27 | CQC DPIA | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the Care Quality Commission Data Protection Impact Assessment (CQC DPIA) in PDF format. The Department of Health and Social Care responded that the document is already publicly available on their website and provided the download link. | ||
| 2022-04-19 | Public Health | Information not held |
| The requester asked for data analytics and decision-making grounds regarding the removal of COVID-19 restrictions and the shift to endemic status on the Isle of Man in 2022. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request, stating they do not hold the information as it may be held by Public Health within the Cabinet Office. | ||
| 2022-04-13 | Remdesivir | Information not held |
| The requester asked for the number of patients prescribed Remdesivir and their mortality rates within six weeks of treatment. 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. | ||
| 2022-04-05 | PCR testing sequencing | Information not held |
| A request was made for genomic sequencing data and variant percentages (BA1, BA2, XE) from PCR testing in the Isle of Man. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request, stating they do not hold the information as it may be held by Manx Care following a 2021 restructuring. | ||
| 2022-03-31 | Nhs Dental Pay Rise | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester sought detailed financial data on NHS dental contract uplifts, UDAS performance, and clawbacks, alongside current waiting list figures. The Department of Health and Social Care refused most requests citing that the information is held by Manx Care, but disclosed the dental waiting list count as of March 21, 2022. | ||
| 2022-03-30 | Full term stillbirths | Information not held |
| A request for the total number of full-term stillbirths in the Isle of Man over the last 15 years was denied because the Department of Health and Social Care does not hold the data. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2022-03-21 | Covid | Information not held |
| The requester asked for the percentage of the Isle of Man population that tested positive for Covid-19 exactly once. 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. | ||
| 2022-03-17 | Considerations of provision of PrEP at GUM clinic | Information not held |
| The requester asked for details on the review of PrEP provision policy for the Manx community following a 2018 document and recent studies in the UK. The Department of Health and Social Care responded that the information is not held by them as it may be held by Manx Care, citing a separation of policy and service delivery. | ||
| 2022-03-11 | Administration of Midazolam within health care settings | Information not held |
| The requester asked for data on Midazolam administration to deceased COVID-19 patients and any payments received for listing such deaths. 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. | ||
| 2022-03-09 | Incidence of Myocarditis, Pericarditis and Cardiac Arrests on island | Information not held |
| A request was made for the number of confirmed incidences of myocarditis, pericarditis, and cardiac arrests on the Isle of Man between 2017 and 2021. The Department of Health and Social Care refused to provide the data, stating they do not hold it as it is likely held by Manx Care following a 2021 restructuring. | ||
| 2022-03-03 | Covid unvaccinated stats | Information not held |
| The requester asked for statistics on unvaccinated individuals, hospitalizations, and deaths due to COVID-19 on the Isle of Man. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request stating they do not hold the information, which may be held by Manx Care. | ||
| 2022-02-24 | Manx care policy on shifts | Information not held |
| A request was made for Manx Care shift policies regarding A&E nurses and night managers at Nobles Hospital, including notice periods and accommodations for single parents. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request, stating they do not hold the information as it is managed by Manx Care following a 2021 restructuring. | ||
| 2022-02-22 | CQC inspection schedule | Information not held |
| The requester asked for minutes of DHSC meetings regarding a CQC inspection schedule for Manx care services, but the Department confirmed it does not hold such minutes. While the specific documents were not disclosed, the response provided a planned timeline for various CQC inspections occurring between April and December 2022. | ||
| 2022-02-18 | Definitions of Covid-19 vaccination. | Information not held |
| The requester asked for definitions of first, second, and booster vaccine doses used in Isle of Man government surveillance statistics. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request, stating the information is not held by them but likely by Public Health within the Cabinet Office. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2022-02-15 | IOM Dentists | Information not held |
| The requester asked about actions to replace a dentist and alleviate backlogs in the Health service provided clinic. 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. | ||
| 2022-02-14 | Bond of service / insurance indemnity | Information not held |
| A request was made for details regarding oaths, liability bonds, and payment entities for David John Ashford during his tenure as Health Minister. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request, stating they do not hold the information and it may be held by the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald. | ||
| 2022-02-09 | Sir Jonathan Michael FOI request | Information not held |
| The requester asked for details on whether Sir Jonathan Michael continued to provide services to the Isle of Man Government after his report, including costs and duration. The Department of Health and Social Care refused the request, stating they do not hold the information as it likely resides with the Cabinet Office. | ||
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