MDS Dentalcare Ltd complies with the 1998 Data Protection Act and this policy describes our procedures, for ensuring personal information about patients is processed fairly and lawfully.
What personal data do we hold?
In order to provide you with a high standard of dental care and attention, we need to hold personal information about you. This personal data comprises;
1. Your past and present medical condition
2. Personal details such as your age, National Insurance / NHS number, address, telephone number, email address and the name and address of your medical practitioner.
3. Your bank details, if you are a member of our payment plan.
4. Radiographs, clinical photographs and study models.
5. Information about the treatment that we have provided or propose to provide and its cost.
6. Notes of conversations / incidents that might occur for which a record needs to be kept.
7. Records of consent to treatment.
8. Any correspondence relating to you with other health care professionals, i.e. hospital or community services.
Why do we hold information about you?
We need to keep comprehensive and accurate personal data about our patients in order to provide them with safe and appropriate dental care. We also need to process personal data about patients in order to provide care under the NHS arrangements and to ensure the proper management and administration of the NHS.
What information do we collect about you?
You may give us information about you by filling in forms on our website or by corresponding with us on the phone, email or otherwise.
How do we process the data?
We will process personal data that we hold about you in the following ways;
1. Retaining information - we will retain your dental records whilst you are a practise patient, and after you cease to be a patient, for at least 11 years or, for children, until age 25, whichever is the longer.
2. Security of information - personal data about you is held on the practise computer system and / or in our manual filling systems. The information is not accessible to the public and only authorised members of staff have access to it. Our computer system is password protected, has secure audit trails and we take back ups regularly. Our processes are audited regularly to ensure compliance with this policy. Data transmission over the internet is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of the data transmitted to our site, any transmission is at your own risk. Once we have received your information, we use strict procedures and security features to try and prevent unauthorised access.
3. Disclosure of information - in order to provide proper and safe dental care, we may need to disclose personal information about you to; your medical insurers, the NHS, your general medical practitioner, hospital or community services or other health care professionals caring for you. If you do not wish personal data that we hold about you to be disclosed or used in the way described in this policy please discuss the matter with your dentist. You have the right to object, but this may affect our ability to provide you with dental care.
4. We may use your data to;
- Enable your use of the service available on the website
- Send cookies to enhance your online experience
- Send you general communications
- Send you email notifications
- To notify you of changes to our service
- Provide third parties with information about our users - but this information will not be used to identify any individual user
- For data analysis, and survey purposes
- To understand the effectiveness of advertising we serve to you and others
- Deal with enquiries or complaints made by you or about you relating to the website
5. Access - you have the right of access to the data that we hold about you and to receive a copy. Access may be obtained by making a request in writing. You will be required to pay a fee of £15 for access computer records or £15 for access to manual records (including radiographs). We may require evidence of you identity before being able to comply with your request, and written proof. We will provide a copy of the record and an explanation of the record if required, within 40 days of the request, and payment of the fee.
6. Policy amendments - we may update this policy from time to time by posting a new version on our website, please check for updates.
If you do not wish personal data that we hold about you to be disclosed or used in the way described in this policy, please discuss the matter with your dentist. You have the right to object but this may affect our ability to provide you with dental care.