LONGLEVENS CHIROPRACTIC & SPORTS INJURY CLINIC LTD
PRIVACY NOTICE FOR PATIENTS
- Background
In our role as chiropractors and massage therapists we receive significant amounts of private and confidential information, especially relating to the health of patients. This document sets out the detail about how the personal information provided by you will be used and looked after and explains your rights in relation to it.
- Our commitment to you
Our commitment is to:-
- Keep personal information provided by you safe and private;
- Not use personal information for any purposes other than in connection with undertaking work for you, for the effective running of our business, for account management purposes, keeping you informed of information about our business, as required by our Regulators and the law and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of this Privacy Notice;
- Make it easy for you to approach us if you have any concerns or questions relating to the holding of personal information.
- Who we are and how we operate
We were founded in 2006. As a chiropractic clinic we specialise in the effective diagnosis, treatment and overall management of problems and injuries concerning the spine, joints, ligaments, tendons and nerves.
There is more information about us on our website https://longlevenschiro.com.
The individual responsible for data protection matters at Longlevens Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic Limited is Leah Rose whose email address is leah@longlevenschiro.com.
- How information is collected from you
In nearly all cases we will collect personal information directly from you. This may be when we are dealing with your questions about the services which we provide before you become our patient. Thereafter patients are required to complete a health questionnaire to give more information particularly relating to health matters. Further personal information will be collected as we provide services to you. This may be collected by face to face meetings and also by telephone, email or other electronic communication. Occasionally personal information may be provided to us by an alternative source, for example if you are referred to us by a medico legal organisation.
- What personal information will we collect from you?
We will collect contact details such as name, address, telephone number and email address. We will also collect health related and contextual information in order that we can effectively carry out our work as your chiropractor or massage therapist.
- Who will personal information be provided to?
We will not provide your personal information to anyone else save in the circumstances set out at 7 and 8 below or where you consent to us doing so.
- What about outsourcing?
We will pass personal information to other organisations from time to time, not for them to use for their own benefit but rather to assist us. This might include holding personal information to assist in the efficient administration and running of our business and to assist with customer relationship management, accounting and regulatory purposes and the holding and processing of information in electronic form including its storage and maintenance.
- What will the personal information be used for?
- To fulfil our contractual obligations towards you:-
- To effectively provide chiropractic and/or massage therapy services to you;
- To properly record the progress of treatment provided to you;
- To regulate the quality of the treatment provided to you.
- To ensure vital interests:-
This is only likely to apply if a medical emergency arises in which case we may use the information we hold about your health to ensure your health and safety.
- When it is our legal obligation
We may be required to provide information to our regulator, auditors, and accountants.
- When legitimate interests apply
It is possible that from time to time we may wish to communicate with you concerning matters of interest or relevance to you. The nature of such contact will be:-
- To inform you of any changes to our services or new services;
- To communicate about offers or promotions which we may be providing;
- To communicate other developments at Longlevens Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic Ltd.
We will not communicate to you under this heading where there is any perceived detriment to you in receiving the communication.
If you do not wish to receive communications under this heading please contact Leah Rose [leah@longlevenschiro.com]. In making contact please confirm the type of communications listed which you do not wish to receive or that you do not wish to receive any communications of the type listed.
We may also use personal information for research and development, performance analysis, training and otherwise with a view to improving the services we offer. We will not process any personal information under this heading where there is any perceived detriment to you in us doing so, but again if you have any concern about this please contact Leah Rose using the details set out above.
- When you consent
There are certain uses to which we will not put personal information without your specific consent. We may wish to seek a view from or work in cooperation with another medical expert in connection with your treatment. If so we will liaise with you and obtain your consent before personal information is provided to any such medical practitioner. The person concerned might for example be a GP, an orthopaedic surgeon or information might be provided to another organisation for the purposes of an MRI scan. Further, if we wish to provide any information about you in publicity material we would not do this without your specific consent.
- Other
We may also use personal information for management and statistical purposes to enable the efficient running of Longlevens Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic Ltd.
- What happens if I don’t wish to provide personal information to Longlevens Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic Ltd?
We seek contact information from you and information necessary in order to effectively provide chiropractic and massage therapy treatment to you. Without this information we will not be able to undertake work for you or at least will not be able to do so effectively.
- How long will Longlevens Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic Ltd keep personal information for?
We will only retain personal information:-
- For as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes it was collected for as set out in this Privacy Notice;
- In relation to those that enquire about the services which we are able to provide but don’t then become patients we would not normally keep that information for longer than twelve months after the last communication from the enquirer;
- We will keep patient information whilst you are receiving treatment and for 8 years thereafter. This is in line with the guidance from our regulatory body.
- In some circumstances you have the right to request erasure of personal information held. This will be addressed below.
- Your rights in relation to the information held in relation to you
- Access – the right to make what is known as a Subject Access Request to obtain a copy of the personal information which we hold about you. If you make such a request we are required, in most circumstances, to provide a copy of the personal information without charge and within 30 days.
You may also seek confirmation of the nature of personal information which we hold about you without seeking a copy of the information itself.
- Correction – it is important that you keep us up to date with any changes to the personal information provided. Subject to that you have the right to ask us to correct or complete any inaccurate or incomplete data held about you. It is possible that evidence will be required of the new information provided.
- Erasure – you are entitled to ask us to delete or remove personal information held where there is no good reason for us to continue to hold it. It may not always be possible to comply with your request due to ongoing obligations in relation to the personal information. Where this is the case you will be informed and be told of the reasons why it is not possible to comply with the request.
- Object to processing – you may object to us processing personal information. There are some circumstances in which it will not be possible to comply with your request, for example if it is necessary to process the information in connection with obligations which we have and which have been explained to you in this document. If you object to us processing information which has been processed under the legitimate interest head, we will stop processing it.
- Restriction of processing – you may ask us to suspend processing of personal information in the following situations:-
- If you want the data accuracy to be established;
- Where the use of the personal information is unlawful but you do not want it to be erased;
- You need the data to be held even though we no longer require it as you need it to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims; or
- You have objected to the use of the data by us but we need time to determine whether we have overriding legitimate grounds to process it.
- Request the transfer of information – sometimes rights apply to request a transfer of personal information held to other organisations, in our case most probably an alternative care provider or chiropractor. This right only applies to personal information that is processed by automated means and is held because it was necessary for the performance of the contract with you or personal information which is processed on the basis of your consent. There is significant health related personal information which we do not process by automated means and in relation to which we will charge for providing copies to others. We will not transfer the information to others without your consent in any event.
- Keeping personal information safe
We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent the personal information provided from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. Access to personal information is limited to those employees and contractors who have a need to know the personal information in connection with undertaking our treatment obligations of you. Procedures have been put in place to deal with any suspected breach of the requirements under the GDPRs. You and/or the Regulator referred to below will be notified of any potentially significant breach.
- What happens if you want to complain?
It is hoped that you will not have cause to complain. If you do complaints should be referred to Leah Rose in the first place where possible. In the event that it is not possible or appropriate to refer a complaint to Leah Rose it may be referred to the Regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) whose address is:-
Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF
- Miscellaneous
- It is not anticipated that any personal information will be transferred outside of the United Kingdom save that one of our back up services is based in Hungary. We have appropriate assurances from our IT Consultant in relation to the security of this arrangement.
- We don’t anticipate using automated decision making in relation to the personal information provided.
- If I have any questions who do I ask?
You may wish to ask the person responsible for your treatment. If this person cannot help, or if it is inappropriate to contact him or her, then please contact Leah Rose.
Dated this 9th day of May 2018