Privacy Policy

The practice is committed to complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, GDC, NHS and other standards.

Orchard Dental Practice is the controller responsible for your personal data. We collect and process your personal data when you provide the information requested on our patient information and medical history forms or request more information about or purchase a product or service.

What type of information do we hold?

• Personal details such as your address, date of birth, phone number and email address
• This is for the provision of dental health care, providing treatment plans, estimates and recalls
• Details of your NHS or e.g. Dental Plan Provider number and entitlement to healthcare treatment and exemption status if applicable
• Personal details of family members or emergency contact details
• Medical history including your GP’s name and address
• Past and present dental history including x-rays and photographs
• Information about the treatment we have proposed and provided along with its price.
• Notes of conversations or incidents that might occur for which a record needs to be kept
• Records of permission or consent for treatment.
• Correspondence to other healthcare professions such as referrals
• Financial information relating to your treatment
• Details of any complaints made

We collect the personal data you provide to us on our new patient forms and we may collect, use, store and transfer different kinds of personal data about you as well. This data may include identity data, contact data, financial data, transaction data, technical data, profile data, usage data and marketing and communications data.

Why do we need to keep this information?

We need to keep records of personal information regarding our patients in order to provide safe and appropriate dental care and treatment. It is also used to maintain accurate treatment records.

We also need to process personal data about you if we are providing care under NHS arrangements and to ensure the proper management and administration of the NHS.

And further we will only use your personal data for the purpose for which we collected it, which includes to register you as a new patient and, to process and provide your treatment, to manage your relationship with us and provide you with dental care, marketing or customer relationships and, to recommend products or services which may be of interest to you.

Our legal basis for processing data is:

• Consent
• Legitimate interest – Processing is necessary for the performance of our care for patients and for defence of legal claims
• Data relating to your health care records is classed as special category data. Our legal basis for processing this is that it falls under Legal claims or judicial acts and Health and Social Care (Article 9 UK GDPR (f,h)).

What do we do with your Information?

We will only share your information if it is done securely, and it is necessary for us to do so.

Your personal information may be securely shared with other healthcare professionals who need to be involved in your care (for example if we refer you to a specialist, need laboratory work undertaken or need to consult with your doctor)

We may also share your personal information securely to third parties where we are required by law or regulation to do so. This may include:

• The General Dental Council
• The CQC
• Dental payment plans or insurers
• NHS Bodies if NHS dental care and treatment is provided

National Data Opt-Out

 As part of our commitment to protecting patient confidentiality, we respect your rights under the NHS National Data Opt-Out. This means that you can choose whether your confidential patient data is used for purposes beyond individual healthcare and treatment, such as for research and planning.

We are required to comply with the National Data Opt-Out policy and apply it when using or sharing information for these purposes. If you have opted out, your information will not be used for secondary purposes.

For more information or to view or change your opt-out preferences, please visit the NHS National Data Opt-Out Website.

How do we store your Information?

• Your Information is stored securely at the practice on protected computer systems. Computer information is backed up regularly and may be securely stored away from our premises.

Retention periods

• We are required to retain your dental records, X-rays and study models while you are a patient of this practice and after you cease to be a patient for a minimum of 11 years.
• There are several other documents that we may collect that have a variety of retention dates, for example the NHS PR form – used to declare payment exemptions – which needs to be kept for 2 years minimum. We have a retention schedule listing all documents and the timeframes for disposal. Retention periods may be changed from time to time based on business or legal and regulatory requirements

Your rights under GDPR

• Access

You have a right to access the information that we hold about you and to receive a copy. You can make a request by contacting your practice or by e-mailing info@orcharddentalpractice.co.uk

• Rectification

You have a right to correct any information that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. Please contact your practice to request a change in information.

• Erasure

You have a right to request that we delete your personal information, although you should be aware that, for legal reasons, we may be unable to erase certain information (for example, information about your dental treatment). Please contact your practice to make this request.

• Restriction

You have the right to request us to restrict the processing of your personal information for example, sending you reminders for appointments or information about our service. Please contact your practice to make this request.

• Portability

You have a right to data portability; this could include supplying your information to another dentist. Please contact your practice to make this request.

Concerns

If you have any concerns about how we use your information and you do not feel able to discuss it with your dentist or anyone at the practice, you can contact our Data Protection Officer via email at info@orcharddentalpractice.co.uk

 You can also seek advice from The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, or start a live chat or call helpline on 0303 123 1113.

Privacy notice for Children

When you visit our dental practice, we need to collect some information about you.

What type of information do we record?

•  Personal details such as your address, date of birth, phone number and email address
  • This is for the provision of dental health care, providing treatment plans and recalls
• Personal details of family members or emergency contact details
• Medical history including your GP’s name and address
• Information about the treatment we have proposed and provided
• Notes of conversations or incidents that might occur for which a record needs to be kept
• Correspondence to other healthcare professions such as referrals.

Why do we need to keep this information?

We need to keep records of personal information regarding our patients in order to provide safe and appropriate dental care and treatment. It is also used to maintain accurate treatment records.

We also need to process personal data about you if we are providing care under NHS arrangements and to ensure the proper management and administration of the NHS.

What do we do with your Information?

We will keep your information safe. Only the people involved in your care will be able to see your information. We will not share your information with anyone else unless we are required to by law or where it’s really important for your health such as if we need to refer you to another dentist or orthodontist.

Your Rights

 If you are under 13, we will usually ask your parent, or carer, to agree to us using your information. If you are 13 or older, and understand what it means, you may be able to make some choices yourself.

Retention periods

For children – we will retain your dental records for 11 years or until you reach the age of 25 (or 26^th birthday if you finished treatment at 17 years old) (whichever is longer).

For details of your rights under data protection laws, including the right to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you and the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK regulator for data protection issues (www.ico.org.uk), please contact our Data Protection Officer via email at info@orcharddentalpractice.co.uk