PRIVACY NOTICE
(Why I collect your personal data and what I do with it)
When you supply your personal details to me they are stored and processed for 3 reasons (the bits in bold are the relevant terms used in the Data protection Act 2018, which includes the General Data Protection Regulation):
I need to collect personal information about your health in order to provide you with the best possible treatment; I will also need contact details to be able to send prescriptions to you. Your requesting treatment and my agreement to provide that care constitutes a contract. You can, of course, refuse to provide the information, but if you were to do that I would not be able to provide treatment.
I have a “Legitimate Interest” in collecting that information, because without it I could not do my job effectively and safely.
I also think that it is important that I can contact you in order to confirm your appointments with me or to update you on matters related to your medical care; this again constitutes “Legitimate Interest”, but this time it is your legitimate interest.
I have a legal obligation to retain your records for 7 years after your most recent appointment (or until you are age 24, if this is longer), but after this period you can ask me to delete your personally identifiable information and associated records if you wish. Otherwise, I will retain such data indefinitely in order that I can provide you with the best possible care should you need to see me at some future date . You have the right to see what personal data of yours I hold, and can ask me to correct any factual errors.
Your records are stored electronically in a password-protected database within a password-protected laptop which only I have access to; any premises in which this laptop is left are always locked when unattended. Your personally identifiable information (such as name, address and phone number) is also kept on cards, which are kept under lock and key at all times when not being accessed by my assistant for the purposes of dispensing or bookkeeping; on rare occasions, when I cannot supply a remedy myself, from my own stocks, or I need to get a remedy to you as a matter of urgency, I may share your name, address and telephone number with a pharmacy, purely for the purpose of supplying your prescription (ie in order to fulfil my contract with you, and in pursuit of your interest). Additionally, personally identifiable information is stored electronically (“in the cloud”) by my appointment scheduling provider, and by my online accountancy provider; these providers, and the pharmacy, have given me their assurances that they are fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulations.
I will never share your personal data with anyone who does not need access without your written consent.
Besides myself, only the following people/agencies will have routine access to your personal data:
The accountancy service which emails invoices to those not paying by cash or cheque;
None of these people or agencies have access to your case notes, including medical history and any sensitive personal information, just your essential contact details, and they understand the confidential nature of the information that they are handling.
I want you to be absolutely confident that I am treating your personal data responsibly, and that I am doing everything I can to make sure that the only people who can access your data have a genuine need to do so.
If you have any complaints about the way I may be handling your data please contact me by leaving a message on my personal voicemail (07739 425388), or by emailing me via info@skyehomeopathy.com If you are not satisfied with my response, you have the right to raise the matter with the Information Commissioner’s Office.