We use your personal information (for example your name, date of birth, any dental treatment you have had in the past) to help us look after your teeth and gums. The law on data protection says that we have to take good care of your personal information and only use it for the reasons we collected it in the first place. We take this very seriously and we will do our best to make sure that your personal information is kept safe.
Leanne Branton is our Data Protection Officer. Leanne is the person you should ask to talk to if you have any questions about how we look after your personal information.
Why does the practice keep my personal information?
We keep information about you to:
The law says that we have to have a good reason for holding your personal information. This is known as the ’legal basis’. Our legal basis for holding your information is our legitimate interests in providing your healthcare and treatment.
How does the practice collect my personal information?
We collect some personal information, such as your name, address and date of birth, when you first start coming to this practice for your dental treatment. Depending on your age, we may ask you for this personal information. Your parents or other adult who looks after you may also be asked to give this personal information to us.
We will also be collecting personal information in your treatment notes every time you come to the dentist. Sometimes we get given personal information about you by other dental or medical practices.
It is important that we make sure that personal information we hold about you is accurate and up-to-date. Please let us know of any changes to your personal information, for example if you have moved to a new house or changed your contact telephone number. Your parents or other adult who looks after you can also tell us about any changes to your personal information.
What personal information does the practice keep?
The personal information we keep includes facts (e.g. your name, any dental treatment you have had) and opinions (e.g. any worries you or your dentist might have about your dental health).
We need to make sure this personal information is correct and up-to-date so we can provide the best possible dental care for you.
The following information is kept and updated regularly:
How is my personal information used?
We use your personal information for the reasons below:
Your dental care – we keep your personal information to allow us to provide the dental treatment and care you need;
Practice Administration – we will use your contact information to let you know when your next appointment is due. We also use your contact information to send reminders about any appointments that you have booked.
Sharing relevant information
To make sure that you get the dental care you need, we might need to share your personal information with:
We won’t share any more information than we have to for you to get the care you need.
The law on data protection says that we have to share personal information if it is needed to prevent a serious crime or injury. This is very rare, but if we do have to share your personal information, we will let you know.
Storage of your personal information
We need to keep your personal information for 10 years. Your record will evolve into your adult records.
We will not keep your personal information for longer than we need to.
When we are finished with your personal information, it will be destroyed by being deleted.
Your personal information is stored on a computer system that is protected by a password.
We make sure that only practice staff who need to see your personal information can look at it.
We make regular back-ups of the information stored on our computer system.
Can I see what personal information is held by the practice?
In Scotland the law on data protection gives you the right to ask for a copy of the information held on you by our Practice. If you would like to see this information and you are at least 12 years old, please ask at reception. You can also ask us in writing by sending a letter or email to Southside Dental Care at the address below:
125 Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3AJ
If you are younger than 12 years old, you can ask your parents or the adult who looks after you to make a request for you.
It will not cost you any money to ask us to give you this information, unless we think that you are asking us to give you a very large amount of information. We might then charge a fee.
Once we have your request, Leanne Branton will respond to it within one month.
If we refuse your request, we will tell you reasons for this.
If you don’t agree with our reasons for not providing a copy of your personal information, you can ask the Information Commissioner’s Office to look at your request and our response to it (see below for contact details).
You also have the right to:
If you don’t like the way we handle your personal information, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (see below for contact details).
If you have a question about anything in this notice or if you would like more information, please contact our receptionist on [insert practice phone number] or write to the Practice Manager [Insert name] at the address above.
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Tel.: 0303 123 1113
Email: mail@ico.gov.uk
Website: www.ico.gov.uk