The Manx Care Advice and Liaison Service (MCALS) received 558 inquiries in March, with 90% resolved within 24 hours, according to DHSC Minister Claire Christian.
However, concerns were raised in Tynwald about whether these inquiries translate into official complaints.
Ms Christian confirmed that MCALS, a confidential service, assists with health-related queries and signposts formal complaints but does not automatically register concerns as complaints unless explicitly requested.
“If a person says, ‘I would like to make this a complaint,’ it would be registered,” she said.
Accuracy
Julie Edge questioned the accuracy of Manx Care’s complaint data, noting that many issues logged with MCALS are not classified as formal complaints.
“When the minister has previously given responses on complaint numbers, it may not be the full picture,” Ms Edge said.
She also inquired about the service’s cost, which Christian pledged to provide later.
Tim Glover praised MCALS as “one of the few areas that really works well” but urged clarity: “If it is to be a complaint, we should make it clear it is to be recorded as such.”
Ms Christian highlighted MCALS’ efficiency, revealing it handled 143 phone calls, 379 emails, and 36 in-person meetings in March.
However, she could not specify how many inquiries escalated to formal complaints. The minister did however agree to share information on that to members.
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