Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
OpenHealth Privacy Notice
This information explains 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 reasons as specified by the Data protection Act 2018, which includes the General Data Protection Regulation:
- 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.
We have a legal obligation to retain your records for 8 years after your most recent appointment (or until you reach 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 either:
- on our office computers. These are password-protected, backed up regularly, and the office(s) are locked and alarmed out of working hours.
- on paper, in locked filing cabinets, and the offices are always locked and alarmed out of working hours (this includes consultations before 2009, referral letters from other medical practitioners, and imaging on CD-ROMs)
- as part of future clinic upgrades, your notes may get transferred to “the cloud” using a specialist medical records service. The provider we chose will be required to give us their assurances that they are fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulations. Access to this data will be password protected, and the passwords will be changed regularly.
We will never share your data with anyone without your written consent. Certain parties who help the clinic have access to your data in limited capacities and have signed confidentiality agreements. They are:
- 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. They only have access to your clerical details.
- Other administrative staff, such as our accountant. Again, they only have access to your clerical details.
- If you have contacted the clinic via website forms, or commented on blogs, our webmaster and web designer would be able to see clerical details and view any comments which might contain medical information.
- We also share some details (mostly clerical and the most basic medical data e.g. which body part is being treated, how much progress has been made) with your private medical insurance company where applicable. They already have your data as you have a contract with them, and any exchange is required for contractual reasons to allow your healthcare to continue to be funded by them.
- 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 confidentiality 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 have to keep a record of your name and date of birth, so we know you’ve asked to “be forgotten” as it will prevent us from contacting you again.
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 our Data Controller. Here are the details you need:
Pennie Rider
01344 625475
Unit E3, Ascot Business Park, Ascot, SL5 9ED
If you are not satisfied with our response, then you have the right to raise the matter with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Date of policy: May 2018
Date of review: May 2019
Cookie Policy
Cookies
This website uses things called “Cookies” to ensure your experience of the site, and our ability to improve it is enhanced. Specifically, the following Cookies are in use:
- Google Analytics (3rd party). We use this to see how many visitors we are getting, and how they found us. You can find out more about Google Analytics’ Cookies here. You can opt-out of having your internet activity available to Google Analytics click here.
- Social Media Sharing and Integration (3rd party). We use Facebook and Twitter functionality within this site so that you can share items of interest, or become a fan of our Social Media Profiles. You can find out more about Facebook’s Cookie use here and Twitter’s here
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