Patient privacy policy

Dr Marcus Auth and M Auth Ltd (MAL) are committed to protecting your personal information and confidentiality and we take all reasonable measures to ensure the confidentiality and security of personal data for which we are responsible, whether computerised or on paper.

Our policy complies with UK law accordingly implemented, including that required by the 2018 EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

This Privacy policy covers personal information we collect, hold and process from patients and no information is collected from our website www.paediatric-gastroenterologist.co.uk .

MAL has nominated a Data Protection Officer (“DPO”) to ensure that we comply with data protection law. Our DPO has responsibility for data protection compliance. The MAL main practice manager and accounts manager are “Data Controller” of the personal information you provide to us. The gastroenterology consultant, paediatric nurses and hospital staff are also individually regarded as a “Data Controller”, meaning that they must comply with the data protection legislation and relevant guidance when handling your personal information. You can expect our Data Controllers to handle your information in line with this privacy policy, which includes using your personal information as set out in more detail below.

If you would like further information about any of the matters contained within this Privacy Policy, or have any other concerns or questions about how we collect, store or process your personal information, please contact the DPO using the contact details below.

This privacy policy explains what personal data MAL collects from you, through our interactions with you.

MAL’s legal basis for processing your data

MAL will obtain your consent as the legal basis for us to collect, hold and process your personal and/or sensitive information in order to allow us to fulfil or take steps to fulfil any contractual obligation we have with you. In addition to this, MAL can lawfully process special category data such as your health records, provided by you, in order to provide you with the appropriate healthcare.

Information we collect about you

As a patient of MAL, we will hold some information relating to your medical treatment, which is known as a special category of personal data under the law, meaning that it must be handled even more sensitively than other categories. The personal information we hold about you includes the following;

·       Name

·       Address

·       Date of birth

·       Next of Kin if under 16 years

·       Medical Insurance Company

·       Policy number and name of policy holder

·       Pre-authorisation number

·       Description of the operation performed

·       CCSD procedure code(s) for the operation(s) performed

·       Name of the gastroenterologist and anaesthetist operating

·       Communications sent to from/to you or from/to other doctors relating to your child’s medical and anaesthetic care

·       Invoices issued by us to insurance companies, to you or to other healthcare providers.

We do not collect debit/debit card details currently.  We do hold referral information, GP records, anaesthetic records or procedure notes, although we may forward these to your insurance company when requested by them to do so, after obtaining your authorization.

If you choose to withhold any personal information requested by us, it may not be possible for us to process your insurance claim on your behalf, or to provide you with gastroenterological services.

Website usage information may be collected using cookies.

How we use information about you

We collect information about you in order to process your claim with your medical insurance company, or to claim gastroenterological fees paid by you to the hospital, or to invoice you for gastroenterological fees, or to liaise with other healthcare providers about your healthcare needs.

MAL needs to hold and process the personal and health information you have provided us in order to collect gastroenterological fees due and to optimize your current and future care with us.

Information collected from you is stored on secured paper records and in a specialist database where it is held and processed electronically on secure servers, which are subject to the appropriate technical security measures mandated by the EU General Data Protection Regulations. MAL makes every effort to prevent unauthorized access to and use of your information. In doing so, MAL complies with the EU GDPR 2018 data protection law, the UK Data Protection Act 2018 and all applicable medical confidentiality guidelines issued by professional bodies, including the General Medical Council.

Who we may share your information with and why

MAL may need to share your information with other medical professionals, healthcare providers and/or medical insurance companies in order to deliver services you have requested.  We do not share your information with any other third parties.

Your rights as a data subject

You have the right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you. You have the right for your details to be forgotten (right to erasure). If you would like a copy, amend or erase some or all of your child’s personal information, please email us, write to us or call us and you be directed to the appropriate responsible person.

MAL medical records

MAL holds medical records to comply with Good Medical Practice and in accordance with the Data Protection Act and Information Governance. MAL will forward these on the request of medical insurance companies or other health care providers, after obtaining your authorisation.

Data retention periods

In accordance with the Records Management Code of Practice for Health and Social Care 2016, MAL has implemented the following retention period;

·       Type of Record: Customer Record

·       Retention Period: 15 Years

·       Notes: Basic information as detailed above

Changes to our privacy policy

We keep our privacy policy under regular review and we will place any updates on our website. This privacy policy was last updated on 9 March 2019.

How to contact us

Please contact us if you have any questions about our privacy policy or information we hold about you:

·       By email to joanna.rosedale@protonmail.com or mauthaccmanager@gmail.com

·       Or write to us at: Dr Marcus Auth, The Nuffield Health Grosvenor Hospital, Wrexham Rd, Chester CH4 7QP

·       Or phone us on: 01244 677985 / 07932 798812