Privacy Notice

Data Protection Privacy Notice for Patients

Twickel Dental Practice

1. Introduction

In providing your dental care and treatment, Twickel Dental Practice will ask for information about you, your health and your dental history.

Occasionally, we may also receive information from other healthcare providers or organisations who have been involved in your care.

This privacy notice explains:

• what personal information we hold about you
• why we hold it
• how we use it
• who we may share it with
• how we keep it safe
• how long we keep it
• your rights in relation to your information.

2. About us

Twickel Dental Practice operates from:

Twickel Dental Practice
23 Barrow Street
Much Wenlock
Shropshire
TF13 6EN

The Practice Owners are:

Dr Mihail Drug-Ionescu
Dr Roxana Drug-Ionescu

The Practice Owners are responsible for ensuring that patient information is kept secure and handled appropriately.

Those at the practice who may have access to your information include dentists, hygienists, therapists, dental nurses and other dental professionals involved in your care, together with reception and administrative staff responsible for the management and administration of the practice.

3. Data Protection Lead

Our Data Protection Lead is:

Dr Mihail Drug-Ionescu

The Data Protection Lead helps ensure that the practice complies with data protection requirements and that we collect, use, store, retain and dispose of your information responsibly.

You can contact the practice about data protection matters by:

Email: reception@twickel-dental.co.uk
Telephone: 01952 728 799
Address: Twickel Dental Practice, 23 Barrow Street, Much Wenlock, Shropshire, TF13 6EN

4. Information that we hold

We only keep and use information where we have a lawful reason to do so.

Some of the information we hold is personal information. Some is special category information, because it relates to your health.

We may hold the following categories of information.

5. Contact and identity details

We may hold personal information about you, including:

• name
• date of birth
• address
• telephone number
• email address
• NHS number, where applicable
• patient reference numbers
• next-of-kin or emergency contact information, where provided
• details of a parent, guardian, carer or representative, where relevant.

We use this information to:

• identify you correctly
• arrange appointments
• contact you about your care
• send reminders and recalls
• manage your patient record
• communicate with you about treatment, fees and administration
• support continuity of care.

Our lawful basis includes providing dental care, managing our contract with you, complying with legal obligations and our legitimate interest in running the practice and supporting your continuing care.

6. Dental and health records

We hold information about your dental and general health, including:

• clinical records made by dentists and other dental professionals involved in your care
• medical history
• dental history
• medications
• allergies
• risk assessments
• diagnoses
• treatment options discussed
• treatment plans
• consent records
• notes of conversations with you about your care
• dates and details of appointments
• clinical photographs
• radiographs / X-rays
• digital scans of your mouth and teeth
• study models, where applicable
• laboratory prescriptions and communications
• referral letters and reports
• correspondence with you and other healthcare professionals
• details of any complaint you have made and how it was handled.

We use this information to:

• assess your dental and oral health
• provide safe and appropriate dental care
• discuss treatment options
• obtain and record consent
• maintain accurate clinical records
• refer you where appropriate
• provide continuity of care
• investigate concerns or complaints
• meet our professional, legal and regulatory obligations.

Dental professionals have an obligation to make and keep accurate, complete, legible and contemporaneous patient records.

7. Financial information

We hold information about:

• fees charged
• treatment estimates
• payments made
• amounts outstanding
• refunds or adjustments
• payment method information, where relevant
• plan membership information, where applicable.

We use this information to:

• provide estimates and invoices
• take payment
• manage patient accounts
• meet accounting and tax obligations
• manage payment plans or practice membership arrangements
• administer NHS charges where relevant.

Where your dental care is provided under the NHS, we are required to complete statutory forms and submit information so that NHS charges, exemptions, treatment claims and payments can be processed.

8. How we use your information

We use your information to provide and manage your dental care.

This may include:

• booking and confirming appointments
• sending appointment reminders
• sending recall reminders
• recording your medical and dental history
• planning and providing treatment
• discussing treatment options, risks and fees
• referring you to other healthcare providers
• communicating with dental laboratories
• processing NHS claims or private plan information
• handling payments
• responding to complaints or concerns
• carrying out audits and quality improvement
• maintaining patient safety and professional standards
• meeting legal, regulatory and professional obligations.

We will seek your preference for how we contact you about your dental care. Our usual methods may include telephone, email, SMS, letter or other practice-approved communication methods.

9. Patient surveys and quality control

We may contact you to ask for feedback, conduct patient surveys or check whether you were happy with the care and service you received.

We use feedback to improve the quality of our service and patient experience.

10. Dental research, education and training

If we wish to use your information for dental research, dental education, training or publication in a way that could identify you, we will discuss this with you and seek your consent.

Where possible, information will be anonymised so that you cannot be identified.

If anonymisation is not possible, we will explain this and discuss your options.

11. Marketing and service information

We may use your contact details to inform you about products, services or updates available at the practice, where we are permitted to do so.

We will not send you marketing communications where your consent is required unless you have given that consent.

You may ask us to stop sending marketing information at any time.

This does not stop us contacting you about your dental care, appointments, recalls, treatment plans, account information or other necessary practice matters.

12. CCTV

We have CCTV at the practice for the purposes of patient and staff safety, security of the premises and prevention or detection of crime.

CCTV is used in accordance with the practice CCTV Policy.

CCTV is not used in clinical treatment rooms for routine clinical recording and is not used in toilets or private welfare areas.

Further details are available in our CCTV Policy.

13. Sharing information

Your information is normally used by those working at or for the practice.

There may be times when we need to share your information with others. This may include:

• your GP
• hospital services
• community dental services
• specialist dental or medical services to which we refer you
• other healthcare professionals involved in your care
• dental laboratories
• NHS payment or commissioning authorities
• NHS Business Services Authority, where relevant
• the Department for Work and Pensions or relevant agencies where exemption or remission from NHS charges is being checked
• private dental plan providers, including Practice Plan, where you are a member
• payment service providers
• accountants or professional advisers
• IT and dental software providers
• cloud hosting or backup providers
• regulatory bodies, where required
• indemnity providers, where relevant
• debt collection agencies, where appropriate and lawful
• law enforcement, HMRC, courts or government agencies, where required by law.

We will only share information on a need-to-know basis and will limit the information shared to what is necessary.

Where we refer you to another healthcare provider, we will usually let you know that we are sending relevant clinical information to support your care.

14. NHS and Practice Plan

We may share relevant information with the NHS in connection with NHS dental care, treatment claims, exemptions, charges, payments, audit, contract monitoring and statutory requirements.

We may share relevant information with Practice Plan or other private dental membership or payment plan providers where you are a member of such a scheme and where this is necessary to administer your plan.

15. Legal or regulatory disclosure

In certain circumstances, or where required by law, we may need to disclose information to a third party not directly connected with your dental care.

This may include:

• HMRC
• courts
• police or law enforcement agencies
• safeguarding authorities
• regulators
• NHS bodies
• professional indemnity organisations
• government agencies.

We will only do this where there is a lawful reason to do so.

16. National data opt-out

Twickel Dental Practice is part of the wider health and care system.

The National Data Opt-Out allows people to decide whether their confidential patient information can be used for research and planning.

Whenever you use health or care services, information may be collected and stored in your patient record to support your individual care and treatment. Information may also sometimes be used for purposes beyond your individual care, such as:

• improving quality and standards of care
• research into new treatments
• preventing illness and disease
• monitoring safety
• planning services.

Mostly, information used for research and planning is anonymised so that you cannot be identified.

You can choose whether you want your confidential patient information to be used in this way. If you are happy with this use of your information, you do not need to do anything. If you wish to opt out, your confidential information will normally be used only to support your individual care.

You can register or change your choice at any time through the NHS "Your Data Matters" service. The NHS explains that there is no deadline for opting out and that you can make or change your choice at any time.

Your information will not be shared with insurance companies or used for marketing purposes without your specific agreement.

17. Keeping your information safe

We store your personal information securely using practice-approved systems.

This may include:

• Dentally, our current cloud-based dental practice management system
• secure practice email and communication systems
• secure clinical imaging and scanning systems
• secure practice filing systems
• paper records, where applicable
• legacy historical records retained for backup or archive purposes
• approved cloud storage, backup or IT support systems.

Only authorised people working at or for the practice have access to your information where they need it for their role.

They understand their legal and professional responsibility to maintain confidentiality and follow practice procedures to protect your information.

We take precautions to protect:

• the practice premises
• filing systems
• computers and devices
• passwords and user access
• backups
• paper records
• clinical records
• digital records
• email and communication systems.

Our computer systems use access controls and audit trails where available, and information is backed up routinely.

Where cloud-based systems are used, the practice takes steps to ensure appropriate security and contractual arrangements are in place.

18. How long we keep your information

We keep dental records in line with professional, legal, indemnity and NHS guidance.

As a general rule, we keep adult dental records for at least 11 years after the date of the last entry or last visit.

For children, records are usually kept until at least the patient's 25th birthday, or longer where required. Dental defence guidance refers to 11 years as the minimum period for adult dental clinical records and children's records being retained until the 25th birthday, with longer retention in some circumstances.

In some cases, records may be kept for longer where there is a lawful, clinical, regulatory, indemnity, safeguarding or legal reason to do so.

At your request, we may delete or update non-essential information, such as some contact details, before the end of the retention period where it is appropriate and lawful to do so.

We may not be able to delete clinical records that we are required or entitled to retain.

19. Access to your information

You have the right to access personal information that we hold about you and to receive a copy.

This is often called a subject access request.

We do not usually charge for providing copies of your information. A fee may only be considered in limited circumstances permitted by data protection law, for example where a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.

Where health information is requested, there may be restrictions on disclosure in limited circumstances, such as where disclosure could cause serious harm or reveal information about another person. The ICO provides guidance on the right of access to health information and restrictions that may apply.

Requests should be made to the practice using the contact details in this notice.

20. Other rights

You may also ask us to:

• correct information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete
• erase some information, where we are not legally or professionally required to keep it
• restrict how we use information in certain circumstances
• stop using information where you object and where the law allows this
• stop sending marketing communications
• provide information electronically to another dental provider where applicable.

For legal and professional reasons, we may be unable to erase certain information, such as information about your dental treatment.

If we have disclosed inaccurate information to a third party and it is corrected, we will let them know where appropriate.

If we rely on your consent to use your personal information for a specific purpose, you may withdraw that consent at any time. We will then stop using your information for that purpose unless another lawful reason applies.

21. If you do not agree

If you do not wish us to use your personal information as described in this notice, you should discuss this with your dentist or with the practice.

If you object to the way we collect and use information that is necessary for safe dental care, we may not be able to continue providing your dental care.

This is because accurate and up-to-date clinical and medical information is needed to assess risk, plan treatment, obtain consent and provide safe care.

22. Concerns and complaints

If you have concerns about how we use your information, please contact the practice first so that we can try to resolve the matter.

You can contact us by:

Email: reception@twickel-dental.co.uk
Telephone: 01952 728 799
Address: Twickel Dental Practice, 23 Barrow Street, Much Wenlock, Shropshire, TF13 6EN

If you remain concerned, or do not feel able to raise the matter with us, you can contact the Information Commissioner's Office.

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

23. Cookies

This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are and how we use them, the types of cookies we use i.e, the information we collect using cookies and how that information is used, and how to control the cookie preferences. For further information on how we use, store, and keep your personal data secure.

You can at any time change or withdraw your consent from the Cookie Declaration on our website

Your consent applies to the following domains: www.twickel-dental.co.uk

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are used to store small pieces of information. They are stored on your device when the website is loaded on your browser. These cookies help us make the website function properly, make it more secure, provide better user experience, and understand how the website performs and to analyze what works and where it needs improvement.

How Do We Use Cookies?

As most of the online services, our website uses first-party and third-party cookies for several purposes. First-party cookies are mostly necessary for the website to function the right way, and they do not collect any of your personally identifiable data.

The third-party cookies used on our website are mainly for understanding how the website performs, how you interact with our website, keeping our services secure, providing advertisements that are relevant to you, and all in all providing you with a better and improved user experience and help speed up your future interactions with our website.

What Types Of Cookies Do We Use?

Essential: Some cookies are essential for you to be able to experience the full functionality of our site. They allow us to maintain user sessions and prevent any security threats. They do not collect or store any personal information. For example, these cookies allow you to log-in to your account and add products to your basket, and checkout securely.

Statistics: These cookies store information like the number of visitors to the website, the number of unique visitors, which pages of the website have been visited, the source of the visit, etc. These data help us understand and analyze how well the website performs and where it needs improvement.

Marketing: Our website displays advertisements. These cookies are used to personalize the advertisements that we show to you so that they are meaningful to you. These cookies also help us keep track of the efficiency of these ad campaigns.

The information stored in these cookies may also be used by the third-party ad providers to show you ads on other websites on the browser as well.

Functional: These are the cookies that help certain non-essential functionalities on our website. These functionalities include embedding content like videos or sharing content of the website on social media platforms.

Preferences: These cookies help us store your settings and browsing preferences like language preferences so that you have a better and efficient experience on future visits to the website.

The below list details the cookies used in our website.

How Can I Control The Cookies Preferences?

Should you decide to change your preferences later through your browsing session, please use the consent link below:

This will display the consent notice again enabling you to change your preferences or withdraw your consent entirely.

In addition to this, different browsers provide different methods to block and delete cookies used by websites. You can change the settings of your browser to block/delete the cookies. To find out more about how to manage and delete cookies, visit wikipedia.org, www.allaboutcookies.org.