Meningitis

Summary

The requester sought details about a single meningitis case reported in September 2022 and the notification procedures for Manx Care and schools. The Cabinet Office withheld specific case details as personal data under an absolute exemption but provided the general regulatory framework for disease notification.

Key Facts

• Information regarding the specific September 2022 meningitis case was withheld because it constitutes personal data that could identify an individual.
• The Cabinet Office cited Section 25 of the Act as the absolute exemption for withholding the case details.
• Registered medical practitioners must notify the Proper Officer of suspected notifiable diseases within 3 days.
• Acute meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia are listed as notifiable conditions under the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2020.
• Public Health is responsible for receiving notifications, conducting risk assessments, and contact tracing.

Data Disclosed

• September 2022
• 2021
• 2022
• 3 days
• SD 2023/0282
• 2020
• 2023
• Article 5
• Article 6
• Section 25

Exemptions Cited

• Section 25 of the Act (absolutely exempt personal information)
• Data Protection (Application of GDPR) Order 2018
• Article 5 of the General Data Protection Regulation

Original Request

Following on from a prior FOI request in relation to notified cases of meningitis reported to public health during 2021 and 2022, it was noted that there was a single reported case in September 2022. Please can you confirm: 1 - the age or age range of the infected that the reported incident related to 2 - whether the reported incident related to a child and thus required notification to any primary or secondary school to prevent spread 3 - the department/body which notified public health of the case 4 - the date or month in which the person was diagnosed with meningitis (I.e as there may have been a delay in notification) In addition please can the department detail the procedure that Manx Care and/or schools must follow in relation to notification of meningitis cases, including any prescribed time limits (e.g. notification required to public health within 5 days of positive meningitis case) and whether all positive meningitis cases must be reported to public health.".

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Government Office Douglas Isle of Man IM1 3PN Telephone: (+44) 01624 686244
Website: www.gov.im/co

Our ref: 4908233 12 September 2025

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 2 September 2025, which states:

"Following on from a prior FOI request in relation to notified cases of meningitis reported to public health during 2021 and 2022, it was noted that there was a single reported case in September 2022.

Please can you confirm:
1 - the age or age range of the infected that the reported incident related to
2 - whether the reported incident related to a child and thus required notification to any primary or secondary school to prevent spread
3 - the department/body which notified public health of the case
4 - the date or month in which the person was diagnosed with meningitis (I.e as there may have been a delay in notification)

In addition please can the department detail the procedure that Manx Care and/or schools must follow in relation to notification of meningitis cases, including any prescribed time limits (e.g. notification required to public health within 5 days of positive meningitis case) and whether all positive meningitis cases must be reported to public health."."

Our response to your request is as follows:

"Following on from a prior FOI request in relation to notified cases of meningitis reported to public health during 2021 and 2022, it was noted that there was a single reported case in September 2022.

Please can you confirm:
1 - the age or age range of the infected that the reported incident related to
2 - whether the reported incident related to a child and thus required notification to any primary or secondary school to prevent spread
3 - the department/body which notified public health of the case
4 - the date or month in which the person was diagnosed with meningitis (I.e as there may have been a delay in notification).”

As your request for information is pertaining to a single case in a specified period, “a single reported case in September 2022”, a "singular case" means that even if a piece of information seems anonymous on its own, it becomes personal data when it can be linked or combined with other information to identify a specific individual. When

several pieces of information are combined, they can provide a unique profile for an individual, thus making them personally identifiable. The information requested in points 1, 2, 3 and 4 would be likely to identify an individual and therefore constitutes a request for personal data.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Cabinet Office are unable to provide the information you have requested because it is absolutely exempt under section 25 of the Act (absolutely exempt personal information). The reasons why that exemption applies are that: • The Cabinet Office is satisfied that the information amounts to personal data of which you are not the data subject; and • The Cabinet Office is satisfied that disclosure of the information would contravene one of the data protection principles as set out at Article 5 of the General Data Protection Regulation as it applies in the Isle of Man pursuant to the Data Protection (Application of GDPR) Order 2018, namely that the Cabinet Office can only disclose the information where it would be fair, lawful and meet one of the conditions for lawful processing in Article 6 and in this case, none of those conditions have been met. In addition please can the department detail the procedure that Manx Care and/or schools must follow in relation to notification of meningitis cases, including any prescribed time limits (e.g. notification required to public health within 5 days of positive meningitis case) and whether all positive meningitis cases must be reported to public health.

Public Health can provide procedural details when Manx Care notify of a case of meningitis as follows: Public Health acts in accordance with the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2020, as amended by the Health Protection (Notification) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (SD 2023/0282). Under these Regulations, registered medical practitioners must notify the Proper Officer of suspected notifiable disease within 3 days. Acute meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia are listed notifiable conditions, so suspected or confirmed cases must be notified to Public Health under this framework. Public Health's role is to receive notifications, conduct risk assessment and contact tracing, and provide public-health advice to relevant settings and contacts. We cannot comment on internal procedures of Manx Care or Department of Education, Sport and Culture; any actions they take are matters for those organisations.

For further advice and assistance, you may wish to contact Manx Care or Department of Education, Sport and Culture who may be able to help you: Manx Care, Head Office, Noble’s Hospital Estate, Strang, Braddan, Isle of Man, IM4 4RJ. Department of Education, Sport and Culture, Thie Slieau Whallian, St John's, Isle of Man, IM4 3AS, or submit a freedom of information request directly here: https://www.gov.im/about-the- government/freedom-of-information/make-a-freedom-of-information-request/.

Please quote the reference number 4908233 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi. I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely