York House Dental Practice takes the privacy of our patients and website users very seriously. We take appropriate measures to ensure we safeguard the confidentiality of any information we hold about you on record.
This policy aims to explain how we protect and manage any personal information you share with us and that we hold about you, including how we collect, process and share that information. Our Privacy policy must be reviewed and updated regularly, and for the Data Protection Act 1998, the data controller is Dr. Soin. Care is taken to ensure any personal sensitive information is collected and stored securely and all staff members have a legal duty to maintain the confidentiality of any information passed regardless of how it was collected.
Personal Information – What do we collect?
You provide us with personal data over the telephone or via our online contact on our website. This includes: name, address, telephone numbers, email addresses and details relating to your medical history. Details of your appointments, your dental history, and your current dental/oral health status are all recorded during your visits to us, along with results of x-rays, financial transactions and any communications made with you and with others on your behalf in the management of your oral care; this may be in the form of letters, text messages and emails. The collection and recording of the information noted are essential for us to carry out your treatment effectively and safely and to provide the best-individualized service we can give.
Personal Information that is passed to others…
The Personal and sensitive information we hold on record for each patient is in usual circumstances never shared unless your permission has been given, examples of when your information may need to be shared with a 3rd party include:
- Referral to an external specialist/consultant.
- With our software providers, for computer generated communications to you.
- For the purpose of gaining your feedback on the services you received at York House.
- With a crime prevention/law enforcement agency, if we have a duty to do so by law.
- With a debt collection agency, in the event of serious/longstanding debts.
In the event we are required to pass information to third parties, they will required under the General data protection regulations (GDPR) to protect of your personal data.
How long do we keep this information about you?
We are required in the UK to hold dental records of adults for a minimum of 11 yrs. or until age 25 in the case of children following last treatment.
Access to health records Act 1990
Patients have the right of access to your own dental records under the Access to health records Act 1990 this covers all records held since November 1991. Requests for copies of your records must be made in writing to the practice, and your request will be dealt with within a 40-day period from the date the request is received and your identity has been formally checked. If you consider any part of your records to be incorrect, you can request that they be amended, and any dental terminology, abbreviations or technical wording used will be explained to you, should it be necessary.
Right to erasure
You will be entitled to request erasure from our records should you wish to request this (within the limits of the law that dictates we hold patients’ records for 11 years. post-treatment/or to age 25) This would involve your data file being deactivated and therefore no further communications being made to you from the practice but your records remaining on file until the 11 year period elapses.
Important information
If you have any queries or concerns not answered by this privacy policy or concerns about how your data is stored, please, in the first instance, speak to a staff member at York House Dental Practice.
