Last updated November 2022
1. Introduction
1.1 We are committed to safeguarding the privacy of our website visitors.
1.2 This policy applies where we are acting as a data controller with respect to the personal data of our website visitors; in other words, where we determine the purposes and means of the processing of that personal data.
1.3 We will ask you to consent to our use of cookies in accordance with the terms of this policy when you first visit our website.
1.4 In this policy, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Firth Chiropractors Ltd T/A Alba Spinal Health Centre.
2. Credit
2.1 This document was created using a template from SEQ Legal.
3. How we use your personal data
3.1 In this Section 3 we have set out:
(a) the general categories of personal data that we may process;
(b) the purposes for which we may process personal data; and
(c) the legal bases of the processing.
3.2 We may process data about your use of our website (“usage data”). The usage data may include your IP address, geographical location, browser type and version, operating system, referral source, length of visit, page views and website navigation paths. The source of the usage data is our analytics tracking system. This usage data may be processed for the purposes of analysing the use of the website and services. The legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interests, namely monitoring and improving our website and services.
3.3 We may process information contained in any enquiry you submit to us regarding goods and/or services (“enquiry data”). The enquiry data may be processed for the purposes of offering, marketing and selling relevant goods and/or services to you. The legal basis for this processing is consent.
3.4 We may process information that you provide to us for the purpose of subscribing to our email notifications and/or newsletters (“notification data”). The notification data may be processed for the purposes of sending you the relevant notifications and/or newsletters. The legal basis for this processing is consent.
3.5 We may process information contained in or relating to any communication that you send to us (“correspondence data”). The correspondence data may include the communication content and metadata associated with the communication. Our website will generate the metadata associated with communications made using the website contact forms. The correspondence data may be processed for the purposes of communicating with you and record-keeping. The legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interests, namely the proper administration of our website and business and communications with users.
3.6 We may process any of your personal data identified in this policy where necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, whether in court proceedings or in an administrative or out-of-court procedure. The legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interests, namely the protection and assertion of our legal rights, your legal rights and the legal rights of others.
3.7 We may process any of your personal data identified in this policy where necessary for the purposes of obtaining or maintaining insurance coverage, managing risks, or obtaining professional advice. The legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interests, namely the proper protection of our business against risks.
3.8 In addition to the specific purposes for which we may process your personal data set out in this Section 3, we may also process any of your personal data where such processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject, or in order to protect your vital interests or the vital interests of another natural person.
3.8 Please do not supply any other person’s personal data to us, unless we prompt you to do so.
4. Providing your personal data to others
4.1 We may disclose your personal data to any member of our group of companies (this means our subsidiaries, our ultimate holding company and all its subsidiaries) insofar as reasonably necessary for the purposes, and on the legal bases, set out in this policy.
4.2 We may disclose your personal data to our insurers and/or professional advisers insofar as reasonably necessary for the purposes of obtaining or maintaining insurance coverage, managing risks, obtaining professional advice, or the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, whether in court proceedings or in an administrative or out-of-court procedure.
4.3 We may disclose specify personal data category or categories to our suppliers or subcontractors insofar as reasonably necessary for specify purposes.
4.4 In addition to the specific disclosures of personal data set out in this Section 4, we may disclose your personal data where such disclosure is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject, or in order to protect your vital interests or the vital interests of another natural person. We may also disclose your personal data where such disclosure is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, whether in court proceedings or in an administrative or out-of-court procedure.
5. International transfers of your personal data
5.1 In this Section 5, we provide information about the circumstances in which your personal data may be transferred to countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA).
5.2 The hosting facilities for our website are situated in The United States. The European Commission has made an “adequacy decision” with respect to the data protection laws of The United States. Transfers to The United States will be protected by appropriate safeguards, namely the use of standard data protection clauses adopted or approved by the European Commission.
6. Retaining and deleting personal data
6.1 This Section 6 sets out our data retention policies and procedure, which are designed to help ensure that we comply with our legal obligations in relation to the retention and deletion of personal data.
6.2 Personal data that we process for any purpose or purposes shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes.
6.3 In some cases it is not possible for us to specify in advance the periods for which your personal data will be retained. In such cases, we will determine the period of retention based on our reasonable requirements:
6.4 Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Section 6, we may retain your personal data where such retention is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject, or in order to protect your vital interests or the vital interests of another natural person.
7. Amendments
7.1 We may update this policy from time to time by publishing a new version on our website.
7.2 You should check this page occasionally to ensure you are happy with any changes to this policy.
8. Your rights
8.1 In this Section 8, we have summarised the rights that you have under data protection law. Some of the rights are complex, and not all of the details have been included in our summaries. Accordingly, you should read the relevant laws and guidance from the regulatory authorities for a full explanation of these rights.
8.2 Your principal rights under data protection law are:
(a) the right to access;
(b) the right to rectification;
(c) the right to erasure;
(d) the right to restrict processing;
(e) the right to object to processing;
(f) the right to data portability;
(g) the right to complain to a supervisory authority; and
(h) the right to withdraw consent.
8.3 You have the right to confirmation as to whether or not we process your personal data and, where we do, access to the personal data, together with certain additional information. That additional information includes details of the purposes of the processing, the categories of personal data concerned and the recipients of the personal data. Providing the rights and freedoms of others are not affected, we will supply to you a copy of your personal data. The first copy will be provided free of charge, but additional copies may be subject to a reasonable fee.
8.4 You have the right to have any inaccurate personal data about you rectified and, taking into account the purposes of the processing, to have any incomplete personal data about you completed.
8.5 In some circumstances you have the right to the erasure of your personal data without undue delay. Those circumstances include: the personal data are no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed; you withdraw consent to consent-based processing; you object to the processing under certain rules of applicable data protection law; the processing is for direct marketing purposes; and the personal data have been unlawfully processed. However, there are exclusions of the right to erasure. The general exclusions include where processing is necessary: for exercising the right of freedom of expression and information; for compliance with a legal obligation; or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
8.6 In some circumstances you have the right to restrict the processing of your personal data. Those circumstances are: you contest the accuracy of the personal data; processing is unlawful but you oppose erasure; we no longer need the personal data for the purposes of our processing, but you require personal data for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims; and you have objected to processing, pending the verification of that objection. Where processing has been restricted on this basis, we may continue to store your personal data. However, we will only otherwise process it: with your consent; for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims; for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person; or for reasons of important public interest.
8.7 You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data on grounds relating to your particular situation, but only to the extent that the legal basis for the processing is that the processing is necessary for: the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of any official authority vested in us; or the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by us or by a third party. If you make such an objection, we will cease to process the personal information unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or the processing is for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
8.8 You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes (including profiling for direct marketing purposes). If you make such an objection, we will cease to process your personal data for this purpose.
8.9 You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data for scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes on grounds relating to your particular situation, unless the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out for reasons of public interest.
8.10 To the extent that the legal basis for our processing of your personal data is:
(a) consent; or
(b) that the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are party or in order to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contract, and such processing is carried out by automated means, you have the right to receive your personal data from us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format. However, this right does not apply where it would adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others.
8.11 If you consider that our processing of your personal information infringes data protection laws, you have a legal right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority responsible for data protection. You may do so in the EU member state of your habitual residence, your place of work or the place of the alleged infringement.
8.12 To the extent that the legal basis for our processing of your personal information is consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing before the withdrawal.
8.13 You may exercise any of your rights in relation to your personal data by written notice to us, in addition to the other methods specified in this Section 8.
9. About cookies
9.1 A cookie is a file containing an identifier (a string of letters and numbers) that is sent by a web server to a web browser and is stored by the browser. The identifier is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server.
9.2 Cookies may be either “persistent” cookies or “session” cookies: a persistent cookie will be stored by a web browser and will remain valid until its set expiry date, unless deleted by the user before the expiry date; a session cookie, on the other hand, will expire at the end of the user session, when the web browser is closed.
9.3 Cookies do not typically contain any information that personally identifies a user, but personal information that we store about you may be linked to the information stored in and obtained from cookies.
10. Cookies that we use
10.1 We use cookies for the following purposes:
(a) analysis – we use cookies to help us to analyse the use and performance of our website and services. Cookies used for this purpose are identify cookies; and
(b) cookie consent – we use cookies to store your preferences in relation to the use of cookies more generally. Cookies used for this purpose are: identify cookies.
11. Cookies used by our service providers
11.1 Our service providers use cookies and those cookies may be stored on your computer when you visit our website.
11.2 We use Google Analytics to analyse the use of our website. Google Analytics gathers information about website use by means of cookies. The information gathered relating to our website is used to create reports about the use of our website. Google’s privacy policy is available at: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/. The relevant cookies are: identify cookies.
12. Managing cookies
12.1 You can manage your cookie preferences using the Cookie Control function which is presented to you when you first visit the website and can be accessed on subsequent visits.
12.2 Most browsers allow you to refuse to accept cookies and to delete cookies. The methods for doing so vary from browser to browser, and from version to version. You can however obtain up-to-date information about blocking and deleting cookies via these links:
(a) https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647?hl=en (Chrome);
(b) https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enable-and-disable-cookies-website-preferences (Firefox);
(c) http://www.opera.com/help/tutorials/security/cookies/ (Opera);
(d) https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/17442/windows-internet-explorer-delete-manage-cookies (Internet Explorer);
(e) https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21411 (Safari); and
(f) https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10-microsoft-edge-and-privacy (Edge).
12.3 Blocking all cookies will have a negative impact upon the usability of many websites.
12.4 If you block cookies, you will not be able to use all the features on our website.
13. Our details
13.1 This website is owned and operated by Firth Chiropractors Ltd T/A Alba Spinal Health Centre
13.2 Our principal place of business is at 152 Chester Road, Warrington, WA4 6AQ
13.3 You can contact us:
(a) by post, to the postal address given above;
(b) using our website contact form
(c) by telephone, on the contact number published on our website; or
(d) by email, using the email address published on our website.
14. Data protection officer
14.1 Our data protection officer’s name is Jemma Firth and she can be contacted at reception@albaclinic.co.uk
GDPR Compliance
Alba Spinal Health Centre is aware of its obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. This privacy notice describes, in line with GDPR, how we collect and use personal data about you during and after your time as a patient of this clinic. It also sets out how we use that information, how long we keep it for and other relevant information about your data.
This notice applies to current and former patients.
Data controller details
The Clinic is a data controller, meaning that it determines the processes to be used when using your personal data. Our contact details are as follows: Jemma Firth – 01925411005
Data protection principles
In relation to your personal data, we will comply with data protection law. This says that the personal information we hold about you must be:
- processed fairly, lawfully and in a clear, transparent way
· collected only for valid reasons that we find proper for the course of your time as a patient and not used in any way that is incompatible with those purposes
· only used in the way that we have told you about
· accurate and up to date
· kept only as long as is necessary for the purposes we outline
· process it in a way that ensures it will not be used for anything that you are not aware of or have consented to (as appropriate), lost or destroyed
· kept securely
Types of information we hold about you
Personal data or information means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. It does not include data where the identity has been removed.
We hold many types of data about you, including:
- your personal details including your name, address, date of birth, email address, phone numbers
- gender
- marital status
- personal medical or health information, including past medical history
- information concerning examination and treatment at your first and subsequent visits.
- letters of referral to or from the clinic regarding your treatment with us.
Special categories of data
There are “special categories” of more sensitive personal data which require a higher level of protection, such as information about a person’s health or sexual orientation.
· Health
We will use your special category data:
- to ensure the care you receive at the clinic is appropriate to your condition
- to determine reasonable adjustments that should be made for access to the clinic or to treatment
We must process special categories of data in accordance with more stringent guidelines. We will process special categories of data when the following applies:
· you have given explicit consent to the processing (on our consent form)
· we must process the data in order to carry out our legal obligations
· we must process data for reasons of substantial public interest
Less commonly, we may process this type of information where it is needed in relation to legal claims or where it is needed to protect your interests (or someone else’s interests) and you are not capable of giving your consent, or where you have already made the information public.
As with all cases of seeking consent from you, you will have full control over your decision to give or withhold consent and there will be no consequences where consent is withheld. Consent, once given, may be withdrawn at any time. There will be no consequences where consent is withdrawn.
How we collect your data
We collect data about you in a variety of ways and this will usually start when you make an enquiry to the clinic and continue when you attend your first and subsequent appointments. At this clinic, we keep electronic records. Information we write down on paper may be transferred to our electronic system. We may receive information about you from your GP or other health care provider regarding your referral or, with your permission, additional information that will help us continue with your treatment. We may also hold the results of tests that you have undertaken and that are relevant to your treatment with the clinic.
Personal data is kept in the clinic in an electronic database.
Why we process your data (How we will use information about you)
The law on data protection allows us to process your data for certain reasons only, these are classified as legitimate interests. Most commonly, we will use your personal information in the following circumstances:
· in order for us to carry out our contract with you (your requesting treatment and our agreement to provide it constitutes a contract) which will include confirming appointments, informing you of changes to appointments or clinic arrangements, changes to facilities or services at the clinic.
· in order to provide you with the best possible treatment by recording health and treatment information which would be in your best interest.
· in order to carry out legally required duties such as those required by me by my government appointed regulator
· where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests
We may use your personal information in these rare situations:
· where we need to protect your or someone else’s interests
· where it is needed in the public interest or for official purposes
Situations in which we will use your personal information
We need all the categories of information to primarily allow us to perform our contract of treatment with you and to enable us to comply with legal obligations.
If you do not provide your data to us
One of the reasons for processing your data is to allow us to carry out our duties in line with your contract of care with us. If you do not provide us with the data needed to do this, we will be unable to perform that care to ensure your best interests are being maintained. We may also be prevented from continuing with your treatment with us due to our legal obligations.
Change of purpose
We will only use your personal information for the purposes for which we collected it unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If we need to use your personal information for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and we will explain the legal basis which allows us to do so.
Please note that we may process your personal information without your knowledge or consent, in compliance with the above rules, where this is required or permitted by law.
Automated decision making
No decision will be made about you solely on the basis of automated decision making (where a decision is taken about you using an electronic system without human involvement) which has a significant impact on you.
Sharing your data
Your data will be shared with colleagues within the Clinic but only where it is necessary for them to undertake their duties. This includes, for example, other chiropractors working for, at or on behalf of the clinic, reception staff and Mri centres, and hospital staff to obtain further medical notes if required. Medical notes on our database are only available to the healthcare practitioners.
We may share your data with third parties in order to facilitate a referral to another healthcare practitioner, investigation or to keep your GP informed about your progress with treatment. An example would be a locum Chiropractor, that may “cover” patients treatments during holiday times.
We may also share your data with third parties as part of a Clinic sale or restructure, or for other reasons to comply with a legal obligation upon us. We would always keep you informed of these situations.
Transferring information outside the EU
We do not share your data with bodies outside of the European Economic Area.
Data Security – Protecting your data
We have put in place measures to protect the security of your information against accidental loss or disclosure, alteration, unauthorised access, destruction or abuse. We have implemented processes to guard against such. In addition, we limit access to your personal information to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know. They will only process your personal information on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality. Your data is held on a secure computer system with password access and a database with password access. Additionally it is stored in an encrypted form on a NAS, and on the cloud, as well as on a USB drive. The computer is protected by a firewall, as well as up to date security software. Legacy paper files are stored in locked cabinets. The clinic is protected by a security alarm.
Where we share your data with third parties, we provide written instructions to them to ensure that your data are held securely and in line with GDPR requirements. Third parties must implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure the security of your data.
How long we keep your data for
In line with data protection principles, we only keep your data for as long as we need it for, which will be at least for the duration of your being a patient with us and we are legally required, by the Chiropractic regulator, to keep this data for eight years after your time as a patient has ended. To determine the any appropriate retention period for personal data beyond eight years we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means and the applicable legal requirements.
Once we no longer have a lawful use for retaining your information, we will dispose of it in a secure manner than maintains data security.
In some circumstances we may anonymise your personal information so that it can no longer be associated with you, in which case we may use such information without further notice to you.
Your duty to inform us of changes
It is important that the personal information we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your personal information changes during your time as a patient with us.
Your rights in relation to your data
The law on data protection gives you certain rights in relation to the data we hold on you.
· the right of access. You have the right to access the data that we hold on you. To do so, you should make a subject access request. Find out how to do this from
· the right for any inaccuracies to be corrected. If any data that we hold about you is incomplete or inaccurate, you can require us to correct it.
· the right to be informed. This means that we must tell you how we use your data, and this is the purpose of this privacy notice. We also must inform you of any changes to how we use your data.
· the right to have information deleted. If you would like us to stop processing your data, you have the right to ask us to delete it from our systems where you believe there is no reason for us to continue processing it.
· the right to restrict the processing of the data. For example, if you believe the data we hold is incorrect, we will stop processing the data (whilst still holding it) until we have ensured that the data is correct.
· the right to portability. You may request transfer the data that we hold on you for your own purposes.
If you want to access your data, review, verify or correct your data, request we erase your personal information, object to the processing of your personal data, or request that we transfer a copy of your personal information to another party, please contact Jemma Firth by writing to the clinic.
Fees
You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal information (or to exercise any of the other rights). However, we may charge a reasonable fee for a second or subsequent copy of information or if your request for access is clearly unfounded or excessive. Alternatively, we may refuse to comply with the request in such circumstances.
What we may need from you
We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access the information (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a security measure to ensure that personal information is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it.
Right to withdraw consent
Where you have provided consent to the collection, processing and transfer of your data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. There will be no consequences for withdrawing your consent. However, in some cases, we may continue to use the data where so permitted by having a legitimate legal reason for doing so.
To withdraw consent, contact Jemma Firth by writing to the clinic.
Making a complaint
If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice or how we handle your information, please contact the Clinic’s Data Protection Office Manager – Jemma Firth. She can be contacted by writing to the clinic. You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the supervisory authority in the UK for data protection matters, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).