Privacy Notice

A Place In Between Acupuncture

This privacy notice explains how I collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you contact me or receive acupuncture treatment from me.

Who I am

A Place In Between Acupuncture is the data controller for the personal information covered by this notice.

Katie Scott
A Place In Between Acupuncture
Telephone: 07878 572775
Email: katie@aplaceinbetween.co.uk

Information I collect

To provide safe, appropriate and individualised acupuncture care, I may collect and use:

  • your name, address and contact details;

  • your date of birth;

  • emergency contact details;

  • your GP's details where appropriate;

  • information about your health, medical and family history, medication, allergies and current symptoms;

  • information you provide about your lifestyle and wellbeing where relevant to your care;

  • my clinical findings and Chinese medicine diagnosis;

  • details of treatments provided and your response to treatment;

  • treatment plans, reviews and decisions made with you;

  • information about advice or referrals I have given you; and

  • records of your consent where appropriate.

Some of this information, particularly information concerning your health, is classed as special category data under UK data protection law and is given additional protection.

The BAcC guidance specifically recognises presenting symptoms, medical and family history, clinical findings and treatment/progress records as information necessary for diagnosis, treatment strategy and treatment planning.

Why I use your information

I use your personal information to:

  • arrange and manage appointments;

  • assess your health and provide acupuncture treatment;

  • formulate and review your diagnosis and treatment plan;

  • maintain an accurate clinical record of the care you receive;

  • communicate with you about your treatment;

  • meet my professional, legal and insurance obligations; and

  • respond to complaints, claims or legal proceedings where necessary.

I will only collect information that is relevant and necessary for these purposes.

My lawful basis for using your information

Under UK data protection law, I must have a lawful basis for collecting and using your personal information.

For information necessary to provide your acupuncture care, I generally rely on legitimate interests. It is necessary for me to collect and use relevant information so that I can provide safe, appropriate and individualised treatment and maintain appropriate clinical records.

I consider the benefit of processing this information to outweigh the limited impact on your privacy because I only collect information relevant to your care, keep it securely and confidentially, restrict access to it and do not use it in ways you would not reasonably expect.

Health information is special category data. I process this information where it is necessary for preventative medicine, diagnosis and the provision of health treatment by a health professional subject to professional confidentiality.

That closely follows the BAcC's suggested basis for presenting complaints, medical history and clinical findings.

Where I get your information

Most of the personal information I process is provided directly by you.

I may also receive relevant information from a parent, guardian, family member, carer or another healthcare professional where appropriate and where there is a lawful basis for doing so.

Sharing your information

Your information is treated as confidential and will not normally be shared with anyone else without your permission.

There are circumstances in which I may need or be legally required to share relevant information. These may include:

  • with another healthcare professional involved in your care, with your consent;

  • with emergency services or your doctor where necessary to protect your life or the life of another person;

  • where disclosure is required by law or a court order;

  • where necessary for safeguarding a child or vulnerable adult;

  • with the British Acupuncture Council or my professional insurer in connection with a complaint, adverse incident or insurance claim; or

  • with my legal adviser where necessary in connection with legal proceedings.

These circumstances broadly reflect those identified in the BAcC's own privacy-notice guidance.

How long I keep your information

I keep personal information for no longer than reasonably necessary.

Patient records, including clinical notes and treatment records, are kept for seven years, in accordance with British Acupuncture Council guidance. This allows me to maintain appropriate clinical records and ensures that relevant information is available should it be required in connection with a complaint, insurance claim or legal proceedings.

Information that does not form part of a patient record, such as an enquiry from someone who does not subsequently become a patient, is kept only for as long as it is reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.

At the end of the relevant retention period, personal information will be securely deleted or destroyed.

Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you have rights under UK data protection law including the right to:

  • ask for a copy of the personal information I hold about you;

  • ask me to correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete;

  • ask me to delete your personal information in certain circumstances;

  • ask me to restrict how I use your information;

  • object to certain uses of your personal information; and

  • withdraw consent at any time where I rely on consent to process your information.

Some of these rights are subject to legal exemptions and will not apply in every circumstance. For example, I may need to retain your clinical record even if you ask me to delete your information.

If you make a request regarding your personal information, I will respond without undue delay and normally within one month.

Please contact me using the details at the top of this notice if you wish to exercise any of these rights.

How I protect your information

I take appropriate measures to keep your personal information secure and confidential and to protect it against loss, misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure.

Personal information is only accessible where necessary and is securely deleted or destroyed when it is no longer required.

Patient records are stored electronically using a secure, password-protected clinical records system. Any paper records I hold are stored securely and are only accessible by me.

How to complain

If you have any concerns about how I use your personal information, please contact me in the first instance:

Katie Scott
Email: katie@aplaceinbetween.co.uk
Telephone: 07878 572775

If you remain unhappy with how your information has been handled, you can make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113