1. Who we are:

We are committed to safeguarding the privacy of our patients. This policy sets out how we will treat your personal information. Nothing in this policy shall limit your statutory rights in relation to your personal data.

By providing personal data to us via our patient online booking/over the phone or face to face contact, you consent to our processing of your data in accordance with this policy.

We are a ‘data controller’ for the purpose of EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)2016/679 ‘Data Protection Law’. This means that we are responsible for and control the processing of your personal information. In certain circumstances we process data on behalf of your GP, Private medical Insurer, Employers or Solicitors. In such circumstances we shall be joint data controller.

Here at Canterbury Physiotherapy we use a practice management software package, called TM2. This service is provided by Blue Zinc, who keep patient data highly secure in 2 ISO27001 certified data centres. Under GDPR, Blue Zinc is a ‘data processor’.

We also have access to the University Medical Centre GP Systems of Choice (GPSoC) programme, called EMIS.

For further information about our privacy practices, please contact Mary Somers:

In writing to: Canterbury Physiotherapy, Canterbury Innovation Centre, University Road, Canterbury, CT2 7FG.

By phone: 01227 811780

By email: mary@canterburyphysiotherapy.co.uk

2. How we collect information about you:

We collect information about you when you interact with us directly: This could be if you ask us about our services and products, register as a patient, apply for a job, student placement, or otherwise provide us with your personal information. This includes when you phone us, visit our website, get in touch through the post or in person.

We collect information about you when you are referred to our services via our joint data controllers. This could be your GP, Private medical insurer, employer or Solicitors.

3. Information we collect and why we use it:

Personal Information

Personal information we collect includes details such as your name, date of birth, email address, telephone number and GP. You will have given us some of this information whilst registering as a patient.

We will mainly use this information:

To provide the services or goods that you have requested

To contact you with important administrative messages

To send you a text message reminder of you appointment date and time

To help us design you a personalised treatment programme

To keep other medical professionals, Insurance companies, Employers and solicitors up to date with your progress, where appropriate.

To send statements or invoices to you

To send you email notifications you have specifically requested

To deal with enquiries or complaints made by you about our services.

We will not provide your personal information to any third parties for the purpose of direct marketing.

Sensitive personal information

Data Protection Law recognises that some categories of personal information are more sensitive. Examples of sensitive personal information can include a person’s health, race, ethnic origin or sex life. When registering as a patient and during your treatment we will ask you about any relevant and significant medical history which will be recorded in your treatment notes. This information is only used to form a clinical diagnosis and treatment plan. We will share this information with your referrer, with your express permission. We will not pass on your details without your express permission except in exceptional circumstances. Examples of this might include anyone reporting serious self-harm or posing as a threat to others or children reporting to us serious issues such as physical abuse or exploitation.

4. Legal disclosure

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law (for example to comply with applicable laws, regulations and codes of practice, or in response to a valid request from a competent authority); or, in order to enforce our condition of sale or other agreements.

Keeping your information safe

We take looking after your information very seriously. We’ve implemented appropriate physical, technical and organisational measures to protect the personal information we have under our control, both on and off-line, from improper access, use, alteration, destruction and loss.

Unfortunately the transmission of information using the internet is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your personal information sent this way, we cannot guarantee the security of data transmitted to our site. You should only provide your information to other providers after reviewing their privacy policies.

How long we hold your information for

We only keep it as long as is reasonable and necessary for the relevant activity, which maybe to fulfil statutory obligations. In the case of patient medical notes we are legally obliged to keep these for 8 years or in the case of children under 16, at the conclusion of treatment, until their 25th birthday.

5. Your rights

You may have certain rights under the Act in relation to the information we hold about you. The rights include:

You are entitled to have access to your personal data. You may request by writing to us (at the address given at the start of the policy), details of your information which we hold and the purposes for which it is held, recipients, retention period and rights of rectification, erasure, restriction and objections. We will provide this information within one month of your request at no fee. You must collect this information in person and sign for it.

You are entitled to request that we stop using information about you for the purpose of direct marketing (i.e the communication to you by whatever means), the request can be made at any time.

You are entitled to require a correction of errors in the personal information held about you and you are entitled to apply to ask the court for an order that such erroneous information be rectified, blocked, destroyed or erased.

Updating information

Please let us know if the personal information which we hold about you needs to be corrected or updated.

6. Policy amendments

We may update this privacy policy from time-time by posting a new version on our site and holding an updated hard copy in our practice office. You should check this page or ask to view a copy occasionally to ensure you are happy with any changes.

7. Third party websites

Our website may contain links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy policies or practices of third party websites.

Produced May 2018