Privacy Policy
(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:
1. 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.
2. We have a “Legitimate Interest” in collecting that information, because without it we couldn’t do our job effectively and safely.
3. 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.
4. Provided we have your consent, we may occasionally contact you with information regarding the practice or general health information in the form of articles, advice or newsletters. 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 a future date.
Your records are stored on paper, in locked filing cabinets, and the office is always locked and alarmed outside of working hours. We also hold a patient database on our office computers. These files are encrypted, the computers are password-protected, and the office is locked and alarmed outside 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:
• 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 (but they do not have access to your medical history or sensitive personal information).
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 the “Data Controller”, in this case:
Nicola Tonks
5 Upper Norfolk Street, North Shields, NE30 1PT
If you are not satisfied with our response, then you have the right to raise the matter with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Many thanks,
The Tyneside Osteopathy Team