Privacy Notice

When you supply your personal details to the clinic they are stored and processed for 4 reasons (the bits in bold are the relevant terms used in the General Data Protection Regulation-i.e. the law):

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 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 send you 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 records will be deleted from the Practice Pal System. If you come back after 8-year period you will be registered as a new patient. Paper documents (registration forms, appointments notes) after being scanned on to your record, will be sent to a confidential waste company Eva Store, Artillery Business Park, Oswestry SY11 4AD. A waste transfer note is then given. 

Your records are stored: -

• On paper, in a locked filing cabinet, and the office is always locked out of working hours.

• Electronically ("in the cloud"), using a specialist medical records service - Practice Pal (visit their website to view their privacy policy). This provider has given us their assurance that they are fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulations. Access to this data s password protected, and the passwords are changed regularly.

• On our office computers. These are password protected, backed up regularly and the office is locked 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 (but they do not have access to your medical history or sensitive personal information)

• Other admin staff. Again, administrative staff do not have access to your medical notes, just your essential contact details.

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 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 and factual errors. Provided the legal minimum period 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 t be sent to what is referred to as the "Data Controller"- details for that are:

Susanna Lindsey- Registered Podiatrist

Health Focus

Canal Yard

Welshpool

SY21 7AQ

reception@health-focus.co.uk

Tel-01938556073

If you are not satisfied with our response, then you have the right to raise the matter with the Information Commissioner's Office

Thank you for your Patience! It is very important that this information is made available to you and you have read and understood it clearly.

Thank you again Susanna Annette and Leah

Revised 1/5/19