Manx Care
239 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 100.0%
The Freedom of Information requests to Manx Care reveal an authority grappling with the dual pressures of pandemic-era scrutiny and systemic data limitations. A dominant theme is the reliance on the 'information not held' exemption, particularly regarding mortality data. In over a dozen cases (e.g., 1812503, 1994741, 2210085), Manx Care consistently refused to provide death statistics or cause-of-death breakdowns, stating they do not hold death certificates and directing requesters to the General Registry. This creates a significant blind spot in public understanding of health outcomes, as the authority holds admission and treatment data but claims no access to the final mortality records. Similarly, requests regarding the scientific specifics of the pandemic response (virus isolation, PCR thresholds) were met with clarifications that Manx Care does not perform these advanced procedures, effectively outsourcing the scientific narrative to UK laboratories while refusing to generate new data on adverse events.
Key Cases
Case 1786213 — Highlights a significant transparency gap where Manx Care refused to provide advertising authorizations, invoices, and payments under a 'practical refusal' exemption, despite disclosing the budget. This suggests potential opacity in how public funds are authorized and spent on marketing.
Case 2175541 — Reveals the massive financial reliance on agency and bank workers, providing a clear picture of the cost of staffing shortages. The inability to differentiate between nurses and HCAs due to shared finance codes also exposes weaknesses in the authority's financial tracking systems.
Case 2371715 — Directly addresses patient safety and accountability by disclosing 'Duty of Candour' incidents. The revelation of 20 incidents, including one escalated to a formal complaint, provides concrete evidence of systemic failures and the authority's response to them.
Case 1873690 — A pivotal case in the pandemic narrative where Manx Care explicitly stated they do not perform virus isolation procedures. This clarifies the scope of their laboratory capabilities and counters claims that they are hiding evidence of virus isolation, while simultaneously admitting they do not hold the data requested by skeptics.
Case 2082778 — Clarifies the financial relationship with the UK government regarding vaccines. By confirming the Isle of Man paid nothing for the vaccines themselves (provided free by the UK), it shifts the focus of public spending inquiries to administration and distribution costs rather than procurement.
Related FOI Stories
The 'Not Held' Defense on Mortality and Death Data — #1812503, #1812501, #1941281, #1988313, #1994741
Virology, PCR Protocols, and Vaccine Skepticism — #1845993, #1861725, #1873689, #1873690, #1880753
Financial Transparency and Spending — #1786213, #1799406, #1820933, #1943113, #2007297
Hospital Performance, Waiting Lists, and Staffing — #1782317, #1821533, #1838029, #1931457, #1940485
Data Compilation and System Limitations — #1786213, #1812503, #1820933, #1915369, #1919333
All (239)
All information sent (239) ·
Some information sent but not all held (82) ·
Information not held (71) ·
Some information sent but part exempt (44) ·
No information sent - all held but exempt (22) ·
Not required to fulfill request (9) ·
Upheld - partial (5) ·
Request lapsed - requested information not provided (4) ·
Not upheld (3) ·
Upheld - full (2) ·
Withdrawn (1) ·
Neither confirm or deny information held (1) ·
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-01-27 | Ambulance Waits | All information sent |
| A request was made for the average and longest ambulance wait times on the Isle of Man for the previous 12 months. Manx Care responded by providing the requested data in an attached table and a link explaining the ambulance standards. | ||
| 2022-01-11 | 2185601 Diabetes diagnosis in children | All information sent |
| The requester asked for annual diabetes diagnosis statistics for children under 18 on the Isle of Man over the last five years. Manx Care provided complete data for children under 16 but could not supply reliable statistics for those aged 16-18 due to limitations in their legacy IT system. | ||
| 2022-01-05 | 2175541 Cost of Agency Bank Workers | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the financial costs of agency and bank nurses and HCAs from 2015 to the present, and Manx Care provided total spending data for various staff categories across departments and Nobles Hospital, noting that nurses and HCAs could not be differentiated due to shared finance codes. | ||
| 2021-12-24 | c section rate | All information sent |
| A request was made to Manx Care for detailed statistics on births, caesarean sections, inductions, and maternal mortality from 2015 to 2021. The authority responded by providing a comprehensive table breaking down these figures by year and category, including elective versus emergency procedures. | ||
| 2021-12-21 | 2156225 Covid and the mrna damage being done. | All information sent |
| A request for hospital capacity, staffing, vaccination status of patients, virus isolation details, malpractice investigations, and anaphylaxis ambulance callouts was submitted to Manx Care. The authority provided full capacity data and anaphylaxis statistics, but withheld staffing numbers due to data structure, redirected vaccination queries to a public dashboard, and referred virus isolation questions to the Cabinet Office. | ||
| 2021-12-20 | 2152199 ambulance call outs | All information sent |
| The requester asked Manx Care for an update on ambulance call-out statistics following a previous FOI request. Manx Care disclosed a detailed table of daily emergency, routine, and urgent ambulance dispatches for the period from September 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021. | ||
| 2021-12-15 | 2147501 Miscarriages and stillbirths | All information sent |
| The requester asked for monthly figures on miscarriages and stillbirths in the Isle of Man from 2017 to 2021, and Manx Care provided the complete data in a table format. | ||
| 2021-12-15 | 2147901 Money paid per covid-19 vaccine | All information sent |
| The requester asked if the Isle of Man provides extra payments per COVID-19 vaccine to medical staff or GPs, similar to the UK system. Manx Care confirmed that participating GP practices receive enhanced service payments per vaccine, detailing the specific amounts and dates of rate changes. | ||
| 2021-12-15 | 2148102 Pneumonia | All information sent |
| The requester asked for an update on influenza and pneumonia hospitalization and death statistics for Q1 and Q2 2021 following a previous FOI request. Manx Care disclosed that between July and December 2021, there was one influenza admission with zero deaths, and 393 pneumonia admissions with 60 deaths recorded as the discharge reason. | ||
| 2021-12-13 | 2140041 Cardiology dept appointments and admissions | All information sent |
| The request sought monthly data on cardiology appointments, admissions, and emergency presentations for heart-related issues and strokes between 2017 and 2021. Manx Care provided detailed monthly statistics for Nobles and Ramsey hospitals, noting that data for 'elsewhere on the Island' was unavailable and emergency coding only commenced in 2018. | ||
| 2021-12-10 | 2139942 Covid vaccine adverse events | All information sent |
| The requester asked Manx Care about data collection on COVID-19 vaccine adverse events, staff awareness of side effects, and public reporting mechanisms. Manx Care disclosed that they rely on UK MHRA data, provide staff with updated Patient Group Directions and the Green Book, and clarified that 111 does not handle vaccination consent. | ||
| 2021-12-07 | 2132845 Dexamethasone usage 2015-2021 | All information sent |
| The requester asked for monthly dosage and volume data for Dexamethasone usage between 2015 and 2021. Manx Care provided monthly issue volumes for Nobles Hospital but noted that specific dose sizes for Primary Care were unavailable. | ||
| 2021-12-07 | 2135047 Elective surgery cancellations | All information sent |
| 2021-12-06 | 2131713 Brain tumour admissions | All information sent |
| The requester asked for monthly brain tumour admission data at Noble's Hospital from January 2016 to the present. Manx Care provided the data aggregated annually instead of monthly due to small numbers, covering specific malignant, benign, and uncertain behaviour diagnoses. | ||
| 2021-12-01 | Anaphylaxis | All information sent |
| The requester asked for monthly figures on emergency department attendances and hospital admissions for anaphylaxis and allergic reactions from 2019 to December 2021. Manx Care disclosed total attendance statistics by diagnosis group and confirmed 15 inpatient admissions for specific allergic reactions, noting that broader 'allergic reaction' data was too general to capture for admissions. | ||
| 2021-12-01 | 2123353 Stillbirths, miscarriages and preterm births | All information sent |
| The requester asked for monthly figures on stillbirths, miscarriages, and preterm births at Noble's Hospital from 2019 to December 2021. Manx Care responded by providing the complete annual and monthly statistical data for all three categories as requested. | ||
| 2021-11-26 | Midazolam, morphine and diamorphine update | All information sent |
| The requester asked for updated dispensing figures for Midazolam and Morphine, clarification on negative numbers in spreadsheets, and five years of Diamorphine data. Manx Care responded by providing detailed monthly Midazolam dispensing statistics from January 2010 to November 2021, noting that negative figures represent returns or adjustments. | ||
| 2021-11-10 | Salary | All information sent |
| A request was made to Manx Care for the total annual salary cost of its sixteen board members. The authority responded by disclosing the total figure, explicitly excluding on-costs such as National Insurance and pension contributions. | ||
| 2021-11-10 | Cost of Covid-19 vaccines | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the specific purchase costs of various COVID-19 vaccines and the total expenditure by the Isle of Man Government up to October 2021. Manx Care responded that there was no cost to the government because all vaccines were provided free of charge by the UK Government. | ||
| 2021-11-05 | Stroke | All information sent |
| The requester asked Manx Care for updated statistics on stroke and heart attack admissions at Noble's Hospital from March 2019 to November 2021. Manx Care provided the full dataset in an appendix, noting a potential undercount for 2020 due to a backlog in clinical coding. | ||
| 2021-11-01 | Accuracy of LFD testing regime | All information sent |
| The requester asked for records on the specificity and sensitivity of COVID-19 testing procedures used on the Isle of Man in October 2021, specifically noting a lack of LFD data on the government website. Manx Care confirmed the website data was accurate and directed the requester to a House of Keys Official Report from October 26, 2021, which discusses LFD testing accuracy. | ||
| 2021-10-14 | Waiting Lists | All information sent |
| A request was made to Manx Care for the average waiting times for first appointments across all clinics at Noble's Hospital. The authority disclosed a comprehensive list of waiting times for 48 specialties as of November 2021, alongside a note regarding data validation challenges. | ||
| 2021-10-11 | Information | All information sent |
| The requester asked for Manx Care's financial and FOI policies, request statistics, and copies of all FOI replies since April 2021. The authority responded by providing the full Manx Care Financial Regulations document, which outlines statutory financial directions and practice notes. | ||
| 2021-10-08 | Surgery data | All information sent |
| The requester asked for patient registration numbers and monthly prescription item counts for each surgery on the Isle of Man over the last three years. Manx Care disclosed the monthly prescription data for 12 surgeries from April 2017 to February 2021 but did not provide the requested patient registration figures. | ||
| 2021-10-08 | covid query | All information sent |
| The requester asked Manx Care for weekly COVID-19 admission data, total hospital admissions for 2019-2020, missing annexes regarding medication, and details on Ivermectin and Remdesivir usage. Manx Care provided the requested statistical data, confirmed the missing annexes were posted online, and stated that Ivermectin is not used for COVID-19 treatment. | ||
| 2021-10-01 | Cost of lateral flow testing | All information sent |
| A request was made to Manx Care for details on the volume and costs of lateral flow testing devices issued to Isle of Man residents up to September 2021. The authority disclosed the total number of devices distributed, unit costs, transportation and distribution expenses, and the overall total cost to the taxpayer. | ||
| 2021-09-29 | Travel and Accommodation | All information sent |
| A request was made to Manx Care for travel and accommodation costs incurred by board members for meetings since April 1, 2021, excluding clinical staff. The authority disclosed the total spending figures for the period between April 1 and October 7, 2021. | ||
| 2021-09-09 | Transfer of doctors from DHSC to Manx Care | All information sent |
| The request sought confirmation on the number of medical doctors transferred from the Department of Health and Social Care to Manx Care upon the board's establishment in April 2021. Manx Care disclosed that 162 contracted doctors and 146 bank/locum doctors were transferred, with only one non-clinical doctor remaining with DHSC. | ||
| 2021-08-31 | Brain Tumour Incidences on Isle of Man - identifying future resources | All information sent |
| Naseem's Manx Brain Tumour Charity requested data on primary brain tumour diagnoses and demographics for Isle of Man residents over the last 10 years. Manx Care disclosed that there were 257 discharges with relevant clinical codes between September 2011 and August 2021, providing a breakdown by year and area. | ||
| 2021-08-31 | Ambulance callouts | All information sent |
| A request was made to Manx Care for ambulance callout statistics and reasons from August 2015 to August 2021, and the authority confirmed that all requested information was sent. | ||
| 2021-08-30 | Test for Covid Variants | All information sent |
| The requester asked Manx Care to explain the method used to differentiate SARS-CoV-2 variants from standard positive tests. Manx Care responded by providing a link to the specific RT-PCR kit documentation and noting that further testing is sent to Public Health England. | ||
| 2021-08-16 | Morphine and Midazolam | All information sent |
| The request sought monthly prescription statistics for Midazolam and Morphine from 2010 to 2021, along with COVID-19 treatment protocols. The authority disclosed all requested information, providing detailed monthly dispensing data for various Midazolam formulations. | ||
| 2021-08-10 | Procurement of Supplies for PCR Tests | All information sent |
| A request was made to Manx Care to identify the companies supplying materials for on-island PCR testing. The authority disclosed the names and websites of three specific suppliers for swabs, lateral flow devices, and plastics. | ||
| 2021-08-06 | Children hospitalised re: covid | All information sent |
| A request was made to Manx Care for statistics on children under 16 hospitalized with COVID-19 in July 2021, including attendance numbers, admissions, length of stay, and percentages relative to total cases. The authority disclosed all requested information, confirming 6 emergency attendances and 4 admissions with an average stay of 2.5 days. | ||
| 2021-08-02 | Stroke admissions | All information sent |
| The requester asked for monthly statistics on stroke and heart attack admissions at Noble's Hospital from March 2019 to July 2021. Manx Care provided the data but noted that 2020 figures may be lower due to a backlog of uncoded clinical episodes. | ||
| 2021-07-14 | Hospital admissions | All information sent |
| 2021-06-02 | Nobles discharges | All information sent |
| The requester asked for patient discharge statistics for specific dates in May 2021, a copy of the Hospital Discharge Policy, and details on recent audits. Manx Care provided the discharge figures, the current policy documents, and confirmed that no audits regarding discharge adherence were conducted in the specified 12-month period. | ||
| 2021-05-19 | Money spent on practice nurse training | All information sent |
| A request was made to Manx Care for details on spending for practice nurse training over the last five years and whether it was individual or generic. The authority disclosed the specific amounts spent annually from 2016-17 to 2020-21 along with the nature of the training provided. | ||
| 2021-05-07 | Urgent referrals to breast clinic | All information sent |
| The requester asked for monthly statistics on urgent breast clinic referrals and average waiting times for the 12 months prior to May 2021. Manx Care disclosed the complete dataset covering May 2020 to April 2021, including a total of 232 referrals and an overall average wait time of 26 days. | ||
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