Privacy Policy

Privacy Notice for Patients

1. Purpose

The Chudleigh Practice Limited aims to meet the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018, the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the guidelines on the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website, and our professional guidelines and requirements.

This Privacy Notice explains the type of personal information we hold, why we keep it, and how we use it.

2. Data Controller

The data controller is:

The Chudleigh Practice Limited

3. Contact Details

If you have an enquiry or request regarding your personal data, please contact:

Kay Reed
The Chudleigh Practice Limited
77 Fore Street
Chudleigh
Devon
TQ13 0HT

Email: admin@chudleighdental.com

Telephone: 01626 853595

This Privacy Notice is also available on our website or can be requested by contacting the practice directly.

4. What Information We Collect and Why

We may collect and process the following personal information:

• Name
• Address
• Contact details
• Gender
• Pronoun preferences
• Date of birth
• Nationality
• NHS number
• Medical history
• Dental history
• Family medical history
• Family contact details
• Emergency contact details
• Marital status
• Information about care needs
• Financial details
• GP details
• Treatment plans
• Consent records
• X-rays
• Clinical photographs
• Digital scans
• Study models
• Appointment records
• Complaint records

Special Category Data

Where necessary, we may also process more sensitive information, including:

• Ethnicity
• Race
• Religion
• Health records
• Sex life information
• Sexual orientation

Why We Process Your Information

We process your personal information to:

• Fulfil our contract with you.
• Maintain accurate clinical records.
• Discuss treatment options.
• Provide dental care and oral health advice.
• Ensure prescribed medication is suitable.
• Adapt treatment to your individual needs.
• Meet our obligations under the Equality Act 2010.
• Process payments and financial transactions.
• Manage appointments, recalls and reminders.
• Contact your next of kin in an emergency.
• Communicate with parents or carers where appropriate.
• Refer you to other healthcare professionals when required.
• Recover outstanding debts.
• Improve the quality of our services.
• Assist with safeguarding and public protection.
• Deal with queries, complaints or legal claims.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing Personal Data

We process your personal data under one or more of the following lawful bases:

• Legitimate interests in providing safe, effective, evidence-based dental care.
• Your consent.
• Compliance with our legal obligations.

6. Lawful Basis for Processing Special Category Data

Where special category data is processed, we rely on one or more of the following conditions:

• Processing is necessary for healthcare purposes.
• Processing is necessary to monitor equality of care and treatment.
• Your explicit consent.

7. Your Data Protection Rights

You have the right to:

Access

Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. We do not normally charge for this.

Rectification

Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.

Erasure

Request that we delete your personal data where legally possible. Certain clinical records must be retained by law, but some non-clinical information may be removed.

Restrict Processing

Ask us to limit how we use your personal information, for example stopping appointment reminders or service updates.

Data Portability

Request that we transfer your personal data to another healthcare provider.

Withdraw Consent

Withdraw your consent at any time where processing is based on consent, including marketing communications.

8. Where We Obtain Your Information

We collect information when:

• You enquire about our services.
• You register with the practice.
• You complete registration or medical history forms.
• Family members or carers provide relevant information.
• Another healthcare provider refers you to us.

9. How Long We Keep Your Information

We only keep information for as long as necessary.

Dental records are normally retained:

• For 11 years after your last visit; or
• Until you reach 25 years of age,

whichever is longer.

At your request, certain non-essential information (such as some contact details) may be deleted sooner.

10. How We Store Your Information

Your personal information is stored securely within our practice management system and secure manual filing systems.

Access is restricted to authorised members of our team who understand their legal duty of confidentiality.

We also:

• Protect our premises and IT systems.
• Use specialist dental software with secure audit trails.
• Back up data routinely.

11. Sharing Your Information

To provide appropriate care, we may share the minimum necessary information with:

• Other dentists
• Medical professionals
• Your GP or consultant
• Dental laboratories
• Private dental schemes
• Safeguarding organisations

12. Duty of Confidentiality

In exceptional circumstances, confidentiality may need to be overridden.

Examples include:

• Serious risks to public health or other individuals.
• Requests from the police to prevent or detect crime.
• Court orders.
• Legal claims involving dental treatment.

Where possible, we will inform you before information is shared.

13. National Data Opt-Out

Information collected during your treatment may sometimes be used for purposes beyond your individual care where there is a lawful basis.

These purposes include:

• Improving healthcare quality.
• Research into new treatments.
• Preventing illness.
• Monitoring patient safety.
• Planning healthcare services.

If you are happy for your information to be used in this way, you do not need to do anything.

To find out more or register your choice to opt out, visit:

www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters

Your confidential patient information will still be used where necessary to support your care.

14. How to Make a Complaint

If you have any comments, concerns or complaints about how we use your personal information, please contact us using the details above.

If you remain dissatisfied, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Website: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint

15. Review of This Privacy Notice

This Privacy Notice is reviewed annually and updated where necessary to ensure continued compliance with current legislation and professional standards.

Privacy Notice for Children

The practice keeps records including your:

• Name
• Address
• Date of birth
• Health information
• Details of your dental treatment
• Family information

We keep this information so we can provide you with the best possible dental care.

Your personal information is kept confidential and secure.

We only use your personal information to:

• Provide your dental care.
• Send appointment reminders.

We only share your information with another dentist, doctor or hospital if you need specialist treatment.

We will never give your information to anyone else unless:

• The law allows us to; or
• We are legally required to do so.

If you leave the practice, we will stop using your information, but we will continue to keep it secure until:

• You reach 25 years old (or 26 years old if you were 17 when your treatment finished); or
• 11 years after your treatment finished,

whichever is longer.

We will then review whether your information can be safely deleted.

You can always:

• Ask for a copy of the information we hold about you.
• Ask us to transfer your records to another dentist or doctor.
• Ask us to stop contacting you if you are no longer a patient.

When you turn 18 years old, this Privacy Notice changes to the adult version.

If you have any questions or would like a copy of your information, please contact:

Kay Reed
The Chudleigh Practice Limited
77 Fore Street
Chudleigh
Devon
TQ13 0HT

Email: admin@chudleighdental.com

Telephone: 01626 853595