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Privacy Policy

Data Protection at Birmingham Psychiatry Clinic

 

This privacy policy covers Birmingham Psychiatry and explains how we use personal data we collect from you when you use our website and/or make an enquiry to us.  We strictly only collect the personal data we need to provide and monitor the service we provide to you. We do not use data you provide for marketing purposes, and neither do we provide this data to other parties to do so.

 

1. Our full details:

Professor S Marwaha

Birmingham Psychiatry Clinic

Consulting Rooms

38 Harborne Road

Edgbaston

Birmingham

B15 3EB

Email: info@bhampsychiatryclinic.co.uk.

 

2. What data do Birmingham Psychiatry Clinic collect?

 

In order to provide our service to you Birmingham Psychiatry Clinic collects the following data:
 

A] Personal identification information (name, email address, phone number) and GP details which i) will often be supplied in your initial email, phonecall or WhatsApp to us; ii) will be requested on making an appointment.

 

B] If you are under the age of 18yrs or lack decision making capacity we will also collect data for your parent or legal guardian (name, email address, phone number etc.).  

 

C] In order to provide a psychiatric service, we will collect data about your psychiatric history (current and past problems, personal history, medical history). This forms the clinical record we hold for you.

 

During registration we specifically ask you whether you are happy for us to communicate with you on your health matter by email or WhatsApp.

 

We also specifically ask you whether you would like your letters emailed to you or posted to you in hard copy.

 

3. How do we collect your data?

 

Data is collected in a number of ways: a] from you personally, when you contact the service (or in the case of a minor, when a parent or legal guardian contacts us) either by telephone, WhatsApp or email; b] if your contact details are passed to us by a third party who is referring you for services (e.g. a health insurance company, GP, private consultant/ therapist, employee assistance programme, legal representative etc); if you use or view our website and your web browser allows use of cookies.

 

4.How does Birmingham Psychiatry Clinic use your data?

 

We never share your data with third parties and will never sell your data to others. Our service collects your data so that we can;
 

A] Process a referral request (e.g. so that we ensure we contact you as requested and discuss your needs)

B] Keep in contact with you regarding any service provision we may offer (e.g. appointments, waiting lists etc.) 

C] Write to your GP, referrer or health insurance provider regards progress or additional needs, where relevant and appropriate.

D] Send a copy of correspondence sent to your GP to you also.

E] Pursue unpaid invoices, using a debt collection agent in the unlikely event that services rendered have not been paid for.  

 

5.How do we store your data and keep it protected?

Physical Files: These are always kept in a secure locked filing cabinet in locked accommodation, which has an alarm system.   

 

Electronic data storage. Birmingham Psychiatry Clinic keeps data in a subscribed cloud services which afford encryption of data both in transit and at rest. The cloud services have a wide range of security features which are constantly being updated and are consistent with industry-specific security, privacy, and compliance requirements. They are HITRUST-CSF-certified, and meet both HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) and ISO/IEC 27000-series standards. These are standards designed to protect your data.  

 

Email: Birmingham Psychiatry Clinic emails run on the Google Platform and are encrypted in transit, using TLS (Transport Layer Security). Gmail is capable of encrypting the email it sends and receives, but only when the other email provider supports TLS encryption. Any client who is not satisfied with these security arrangements, would need to request communication by phone or postal mail.

 

Hardware: All computers used to access documents stored in the cloud have up to date antivirus protection and are accessed via secure passwords or facial recognition. 


6. How long are records kept?

 

Birmingham Psychiatry Clinic in line with the relevant legal requirements will keep records securely for 8 years. After this they will be destroyed using confidential waste services. For minors we will keep records for 3years after the date they turn 18 years of age before they are destroyed.  

  

7. Use of data for marketing purposes
 

Birmingham Psychiatry Clinic will not use your data for marketing purposes unless we explicitly ask for your individual permission. We do not sell your data for marketing purposes.

 

8. What are your data protection rights?
 

Birmingham Psychiatry Clinic manages all personal data in accordance with GDPR guidelines, which provide a range of rights for individuals.  These rights include:

  • the right to be informed about the collection and use of your personal data (e.g. the purposes for processing personal data, retention periods for that personal data, and who it will be shared with. This is all termed ‘privacy information’)

  • the right to access privacy information that is concise, transparent, intelligible, easily accessible, and offered in a clear and plain language.

  • the right to be informed as to the lawful basis and legitimate purposes of processing data.

  • the right to withdraw consent for processing personal data (where applicable)

  • the right to be informed and to give consent to any proposed changes in use of personal data, before those changes are implemented.

  • the right to be informed as to who you may contact at Birmingham Psychiatry Clinic, in their role as Data Protection Officer 

  • the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

 

9. How is data collected through cookies
 

Birmingham Psychiatry Clinic’s website has been developed through a third-party organisation.  The website uses essential cookies. To explain, cookies are small pieces of data stored in the browser of the device (e.g. computer or smartphone) you use when accessing the Birmingham Psychiatry Clinic website. It allows the website to recognise your device and store some information about your preferences or past actions (e.g. actions you may have taken on the site). The cookies uses do not identify you, as we do not ask you to register to use our website.  They may however monitor and analyse the performance, operation and effectiveness of our website, whilst also checking it remains secure and safe to use.  You can disable cookies on your device, following the guidance provided by your web browser/supplier. 

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10. How to contact us to update or request your data to be removed

Personal data that we hold is destroyed or erased from our systems as per section 5 of this privacy document.  If you think that we are holding out-of-date or inaccurate personal data, please let us know.
 

If at any point you believe the personal information that we hold for you may be incorrect, or you would prefer we no longer hold this data, you can request to see the information we have in order to have it corrected or deleted.  We cannot erase or destroy the clinical records we hold, and need to retain these as required by the law.

 

10. How to contact us to request access to personal data or clinical records we hold

 

You may request access to any personal data or clinical record held about you within our service, by raising a SARS request.  We are obliged to give access to your records within 21 days and ask that you send us a formal, written request. 

 

Please make your request to the Data Protection Officer, Professor S Marwaha, in writing to Birmingham Psychiatry Clinic, Consulting Rooms, 38 Harborne Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B153EB.

 

The Access to Health Records Act 1990 allows client’s personal representatives and any person who may have a claim arising out of the client’s death access to their record.

 

If you or a representative require access to clinical records for the purposes of a legal matter, the nominal charge of £50 is payable.  If the request is for a summary report, this will be charged at the usual fee rate we charge, which we can share at the point of request. 

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