Crickhowell Optometrists Data Privacy Policy
Our contact details
Name: Crickhowell Optometrists
Address: 17 High Street, Crickhowell, NP8 1BL
Phone Number: 01873 811887
E-mail: info@crickhowelloptometrists.co.uk
Why we collect and process your personal data
We collect and process patients’ personal data for healthcare purposes.
Our legal basis for processing personal data for healthcare purposes, including appointment reminders, includes public task or legitimate interest.
· When we provide services under the NHS General Optical Services (such as a sight test funded by the NHS), our legal basis for processing personal data in respect of that service is public task.
· Otherwise, our legal basis is legitimate interest.
· Our condition for processing special category data is the provision of health or social care.
The type of personal information we collect
The personal data of patients that we may collect and process includes:
· Your name, contact details and personal identifiers (such as date of birth and NHS number).
· Your general and ocular health history, your family medical and ocular history, and any relevant signs or symptoms you tell us about.
· Details of medicines, spectacles and contact lenses prescribed for you.
· Details of examinations and other healthcare checks and treatments we provide.
· Information relevant to your continued care from other people who care for you or know you well, such as other healthcare professionals and relatives.
How we store your personal information
We process your data in strict confidence. Your information is securely stored in our filing and electronic systems. Patient records are only accessible to the healthcare professionals working at the practice and those under their supervision.
We usually keep any personal data we hold about you for 10 years after our last contact with you before we delete it. This is the period recommended as good practice by the College of Optometrists. If we collected data when you were aged under 18, we will keep it until your 25th birthday, in line with NHS requirements. In exceptional cases we may need to retain personal data for a longer period, and will explain our reasons for doing so on request.
In the course of processing your personal data we may share it with:
The healthcare professionals working at this practice and those under their supervision.
Healthcare professionals and those under their supervision at other optical practices, but only if you have specifically asked us to pass on your personal data (such as your prescription) to them.
Your GP, Ophthalmologists and other healthcare providers and commissioners, and suppliers of optical appliances or similar products, in connection with your ongoing healthcare treatment.
Software providers for our patient record and invoicing systems, and financial institutions, so that we can keep patient records up to date and arrange payment for services provided to you.
Your data protection rights
Under data protection law, you have legal rights in respect of the data we hold about you. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published guidance on the full range of rights. The rights that are most relevant to the way in which we use your personal data include:
· Your right to be informed – about how we use personal data. This privacy notice gives that information.
· Your right to object to processing – if you object to us processing your data for healthcare purposes where our legal basis is legitimate interest (see “why we collect and process your personal data” above) we will then stop doing so, unless we are processing the data in respect of a legal claim or can otherwise show that our legitimate interest in processing the data overrides your rights and interests.
· Your right of access – if you ask us for the personal data we hold about you we will provide it within a month, free of charge (unless we have already provided it to you, in which case we may have to charge you the administrative cost of providing it again.
· Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.
· Your right to erasure - you have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances. If you ask us to delete your personal data, we will do so if there is no compelling reason to continue processing the data. We will not usually delete healthcare data before our usual timeframe (see “how we hold and share your personal data” above) where we have a duty to keep accurate records – for example, to comply with a legal obligation, or in connection with a legal claim. If you ask us to delete such data we will discuss this with you.
· Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
· Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.
You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.
Please contact us at info@crickhowelloptometrists.co.uk or on 01873 811887 if you wish to make a request.
How to complain
If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us at:
Name: Crickhowell Optometrists
Address: 17 High Street, Crickhowell, NP8 1BL
Phone Number: 01873 811887
E-mail: info@crickhowelloptometrists.co.uk
You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.
The ICO’s address: Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
SK9 5AF
Helpline number: 0303 123 1113
ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk