Health body says information is 'commercially sensitive'
Manx Care has refused to reveal how much it’s paying an agency to cover staff shortages in residential homes for adults with learning difficulties.
The information had been requested via the Freedom of Information process.
The applicant had asked how many staff were being employed by TopCare Agency, their hourly rate and how many hours of work they were providing.
However Manx Care says the information is ‘commercially sensitive’ and providing it could lead to lower tender prices for care packages in future.
This, the health body says, may prejudice TopCare Agency’s ability to competitively tender for future contracts.
It adds it wishes to maintain a ‘positive relationship’ with the supplier as the care sector is still ‘very much squeezed post pandemic’ adding it can be ‘challenging’ to source ‘quality’ care.
This, Manx Care, adds particularly applies within a restricted market like the Isle of Man where the health body is limited in its purchasing options.
It does however acknowledge that there is public interest in expenditure, particularly given the financial pressures it’s currently under, and ongoing interest in how public funds are spent.
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