How we use your personal information
This Privacy Notice explains why the Betonica community herbal medicine clinics collect information about you and how that information may be used.
The medical herbalists you see at our clinics record your health information as part of the consultation that takes place. This includes if you just drop in and see us for a chat.
Our records may be electronic, on paper or a mixture of both, and we use a combination of working practices and technology to ensure that your information is kept confidential and secure.
Records Betonica clinics may hold about you may include the following information;
• Details about you, such as your name, address, carers, legal representatives and emergency contact details
• Any contact the clinic has had with you, such as appointments, clinic visits, emails and telephone calls, etc.
• Notes and reports about your health
• Details about your treatment and care
• Results of investigations such as laboratory tests, x-rays, etc. (when provided by you)
To ensure you receive the best possible care, your records are used to facilitate the care you receive. Information held about you may be used to help protect the health of the public.
Information may be used within the clinics for clinical audit to monitor the quality of the service provided.
Some of this information will be held centrally and used for statistical purposes. Where we do this, we take strict measures to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified.
Sometimes your information may be requested to be used for research purposes – the clinic will always gain your consent before releasing the information for this purpose.
We review these procedures and the data we hold on patients on an annual basis.
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How do we maintain the confidentiality of your records?
We are committed to protecting your privacy and will only use information collected lawfully in accordance with:
• Data Protection Act 1998 and General Data Protection Regulation 2016
• Human Rights Act 1998
• Common Law Duty of Confidentiality
• Health and Social Care Act 2012
• Our insurance policy as medical herbalists
Every medical herbalist and student herbalist who works within our clinics has a legal obligation to keep information about you confidential.
We will only ever use or pass on information about you if others involved in your care have a genuine need for it.
We will not disclose your information to any third party without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances (i.e. life or death situations), where the law requires information to be passed on and / or in accordance with the information sharing principle following Dame Fiona Caldicott’s information sharing review (Information to share or not to share) where “The duty to share information can be as important as the duty to protect patient confidentiality.” This means that health and social care professionals should have the confidence to share information in the best interests of their patients within the framework set out by the Caldicott principles. They should be supported by the policies of their employers, regulators and professional bodies.
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Who are our partner organisations?
We may also have to share your information, subject to strict agreements on how it will be used, with the following organisations;
• NHS Trusts / Foundation Trusts
• GP’s
• Independent Contractors such as dentists, opticians, pharmacists
• Private Sector Providers
• Voluntary Sector Providers
• Social Care Services
• Local Authorities
• Education Services
• Police & Judicial Services
You will be informed who your data will be shared with and in most cases asked for explicit consent for this to happen when this is required.
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Withdrawal of consent
In order for us to keep your data we need your consent. This takes the form of a consent form that you will be asked to read and sign. You have the option to withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us via email or post.
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Access to personal information
You have a right under the Data Protection Act 1998 to request access to view or to obtain copies of what information the clinic holds about you and to have it amended should it be inaccurate. In order to request this, you need to do the following:
• Your request must be made in writing to the clinic
• There may be a charge to have a printed copy of the information held about you
• We are required to respond to you within 40 days
• You will need to give adequate information (for example full name, address, date of birth and details of your request) so that your identity can be verified and your records located
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Objections / Complaints
Should you have any concerns about how your information is managed at the clinic, please contact the lead clinical supervisor. If you are still unhappy following a review by the lead clinical supervisor, you can then complain to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) via their website (www.ico.gov.uk).
If you are happy for your data to be extracted and used for the purposes described in this privacy notice then you do not need to do anything. If you have any concerns about how your data is shared then please contact the clinic.
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Change of Details
It is important that you tell the person treating you if any of your details such as your name or address have changed or if any of your details such as date of birth is incorrect in order for this to be amended. You have a responsibility to inform us of any changes so our records are accurate and up to date for you.
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Notification
The Data Protection Act 1998 requires organisations to register a notification with the Information Commissioner to describe the purposes for which they process personal and sensitive information.
This information is publicly available on the Information Commissioners Office website www.ico.org.uk
The clinic is registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).
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Who is the Data Controller?
The Data Controller, responsible for keeping your information secure and confidential is:
The lead clinical supervisor – Helen Kearney MNIMH
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Complaints
Should you have any concerns about how your information is managed by the clinic please contact the Lead Clinical Supervisor at the following address:
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Betonica Community Clinic
Helen Kearney
25 Gold Street
Tiverton, Devon
EX16 6QB
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If you are still unhappy following a review by the clinic you can then complain to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).
www.ico.org.uk,
casework@ico.org.uk,
telephone: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745
