Data Protection, Privacy and Cookies (in digestible chunks)

WHAT: First up, rest assured I take your privacy very seriously. I may (securely) collect your name and email address or similar when you use certain features of this website – like the contact page. I’ll also need to gather sensitive personal data from you if I treat you. All will be gathered directly from you – i.e. with your consent.

WHY: As patient and homeopath we’ll need to keep in contact, and I’ll need details such as name, address, email, phone number, DOB, medical history, records of your progress and my prescriptions. All is purely so I can treat or help you. I may also email you (rarely) about the kind of new content I hope you’ll find interesting. Or better still, promotional offers I think you may find tempting.

WHERE: Your notes are paper-based and are held securely in my practice. Any computer processing occurs on an ancient laptop which has no access to the internet. Your email address is held securely on the servers of my ISPs, currently John Lewis Broadband and ecohosting.

DATA BREACH: This has never happened, but if it did, (e.g. through a break-in), immediate action would be taken to minimise harm and you’d be notified and any concern investigated.

YOUR PRIVACY: Your details will never be shared with a third party without your express consent. (Unless an emergency & thus in your best interests or I’m required to do so by law – as if that’s likely.)

YOUR RIGHTS: You can request a copy of any info. held about you by Alternative Tune, under the Data Protection Act 1998 and GDPR 2018. Records of such requests will be kept. If you believe any information held is inaccurate, out of date or incomplete please contact me to amend as soon as possible. I need to keep your info for as long as I treat you. My Code of Ethics and Practice also requires me to keep your notes for 7 years after your last consultation (7 years after your 18th birthday if a child). Any queries? Just contact me via the contact page.

COOKIES: This site (like most others) uses traffic log cookies. Not the tastiest crumbs in the world, but they may improve your experience of the Alternative Tune website. Cookies also help me learn which pages of the site are most popular, so I can tailor or improve the content on offer to you.

TO REASSURE YOU: Cookies respond to you as an individual and remember your preferences, which may make navigation smoother. To do this they attach to your hard drive – with your consent (see below). They in no way allow access to your computer or undisclosed personal information.

YOU CAN RESIST: Most web browsers are hungry so accept cookies automatically. But you can modify your browser settings to resist cookies at any time, although having them offers the fullest browsing experience. For more information (and a more serious read) you can visit www.aboutcookies.org.

These policies exist to protect your rights, show how I process your data and comply with data protection law.

Effective from May 2018