SueBailes Acupuncture 

This notice is to explain why I collect your personal data, and what I do with it, and to ensure I am working in accordance with the revised Data Protection Act 2018; terms from the Act are indicated in bold below.

 

When you supply your personal details to me, when I communicate by email, text, facebook business page or I take notes in my clinic, this information is stored and processed for four reasons in line with the Data Protection Act requirements:

 

1. I 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 I would not be able to provide treatment.

 

2. I have a “Legitimate Interest” in collecting that information, because without it I couldn’t practise acupuncture effectively and safely.

 

3. I keep records of your contact information because I think that it is important to 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.

 

4. Provided I have your consent (and this only needs to be verbal consent), I 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.

 

I have a legal obligation to retain your records for 8 years after your most recent appointment (or age 25, if this is longer). After this period, I will delete your records.

 

Your clinical records are stored on paper in a secure cabinet in my home.

 

Your emails are stored within my account info@suebailesacupuncture.co.uk or susanbailes.acupuncture@gmail.com which are both password protected. If you contact me via my business page on facebook, this account is also password protected and my mobile via a password / my thumb print. Both my personal computer and my mobile are password protected and only used by me.

 

I will never share your data with anyone who does not have a legal right of access without your written consent. If your appointment was booked via a third party clinic, the reception staff have your contact information. They need this information in order to organise my diary and book appointments. They do not have access to your medical history or sensitive personal information.

 

I also use Mailchimp, your name and email address may be saved on their server but this account is password protected.

 

You have the right to see what personal data of yours I hold, and you can also ask me to correct any factual errors. I am legally required to respond to any request from a client to see their personal date within a timescale of 30 days. However, I would ensure that I respond as soon as I possibly could to any reasonable request for access to personal records.

 

On some occasions when I am not available I may refer you to an acupuncture colleague. In that case I will ask you whether you agree or object to any information about your health being passed on to my colleague and I will act accordingly.

 

I want you to be absolutely confident that I am treating your personal data responsibly, and that I will do everything I can to make sure that the only people who can access that data have a genuine need to do so. In the case of my practice, this would apply when referring to another health professional. Other than for emergency treatment, I will always ask you for your consent and act accordingly.

 

Of course, if you feel that I am mishandling your personal data in any way, you have the right to complain. In the first instance, please contact myself, the “Data Controller”, as I very much hope I would be able to deal with any concern you may have.

 

Susan Bailes, Data Controller

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Email: info@suebailesacupuncture.co.uk

Tel: 07791 414 440

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October 2021