PRIVACY NOTICE
(Why we collect your personal data and what we do with it)
When you supply your personal details to this clinic they are stored and processed for 4 reasons
(relevant terms used in the General Data Protection Regulation – ie the law):
- We need to collect personal information about your health in order to provide you with the best possible treatment. Your requesting treatment and our agreement to provide that care constitutes a contract. You can, of course, refuse to provide the information, but if you were to do that we would not be able to provide treatment.
- We have a “Legitimate Interest” in collecting that information, because without it we couldn’t do our job effectively and safely.
- We also think that it is important that we can contact you in order to confirm your appointments with us or to update you on matters related to your medical care. This again constitutes “Legitimate Interest”, but this time it is your legitimate interest.
- Provided we have your consent, we may occasionally send you newsletters or general information such as marketing, promotions and services. Your consent is also required to enable us to communicate with relevant 3rd party health care professionals and providers. As a practice we share and learn from our colleagues and may use patient case histories and treatment notes to enable us to do this and to mentor others. You may withdraw this consent at any time – just let us know by any convenient method.
We have a legal obligation to retain your records for 8 years after your most recent appointment (or age 25, if this is longer), but after this period you can ask us to delete your records if you wish. Otherwise, we will retain your records indefinitely in order that we can provide you with the best possible care should you need to see us at some future date. Your records are stored
- on paper, where possible in locked filing cabinets, and the clinic is always locked and alarmed out of working hours.
- electronically backed up on cloud servers by a specialist medical records service. This provider has given us their assurances that they are fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulations. Access to this data is password-protected and backed up regularly.
- on our office computers. These are password-protected, backed up regularly, and the clinic is locked and alarmed out of working hours.
We will never share your data with anyone who does not need access without your written consent. Only the following people/agencies will have routine access to your data:
- The medical records service who store and process our files.
- Your practitioner(s) in order that they can provide you with treatment.
- Our reception staff, because they organise our practitioners’ diaries, and coordinate appointments and reminders.
- Other administrative staff, such as our Administration, Accounts and Marketing Managers.
- We also use external agencies to coordinate our messages, so your name and email address may be saved on their server.
From time to time, we may have to employ consultants to perform tasks which might give them access to your personal data (but not your medical notes). We will ensure that they are fully aware that they must treat that information as confidential, and we will ensure that they sign a non-disclosure agreement.
You have the right to see what personal data of yours we hold, and you can also ask us to correct any factual errors. Provided the legal minimum period has elapsed, you can also ask us to erase your records.
We want you to be absolutely confident that we are treating your personal data responsibly, and that we are doing everything we can to make sure that the only people who can access that data have a genuine need to do so.
Of course, if you feel that we are mishandling your personal data in some way, you have the right to complain. Complaints need to be sent to what is referred to in the jargon as the “Data Controller”. Here are the details you need for that:
Darren Barnes-Heath
darren@newlandchiropractic.co.uk
01522 538450
Newland Chiropractic Clinic
82 Newland, Lincoln, LN1 1YA