Privacy policy

The practice aims to meet the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the guidelines on the Information Commissioner’s website, as well as our professional guidelines and requirements.

Marlow Dental Centre Privacy Policy

Thomas Norlin is our Data Protection Officer.
This Privacy Notice is available on the practice website at www.marlowdentalcentre.co.uk, at reception, by email (enquiries@marlowdentalcentre.co.uk), or by calling 01628 486 096.

Personal Information We Process

When joining the practice, you will be asked to provide personal information. The purpose of processing this data is to provide you with optimal dental health care and prevention.

Categories of Data We Process

• Personal Data:

• For the provision of dental health care
• Treatment plans, recall appointments, reminders, or estimates
• Family details for health care provision to children or emergency contacts
• Employment and engagement details for staff
• Communication for important announcements, treatments, or services

• Special Category Data:

• Health records to deliver health care and meet legal obligations
• Data to comply with the Equality Act 2010
• Criminal record checks for employees and contracted team members

We ensure that we minimize the data we store and do not keep it for longer than necessary. We will never pass your personal details to a third party unless we have a contract for them to process data on our behalf.

Sharing of Data

• If we refer a patient to another practitioner or secondary care (e.g., a hospital), we will obtain the individual’s permission before sharing personal data.
• If you are receiving NHS or HSC treatment, your data will be shared with the NHS (England, Scotland, Wales) or HSC (Northern Ireland).

Your data will be stored in the EU, both digitally and in hard copy format, and in the US in digital format with a certified EU-US Privacy Shield provider.

Lawful Bases for Processing Your Data

We have the following lawful bases for processing your data:

1. Legitimate interests of the dental practice
2. Contract performance with the data subject or to take steps to enter a contract
3. Consent of the data subject
4. Legal obligations compliance

For processing special category data:

• Health care purposes
• Equality Act 2010 requirements
• Criminal record disclosures for team members

Purpose of Data Processing

We process personal data for the following purposes:

• To maintain contemporaneous clinical records
• To provide dental treatment, prevention, and oral health advice
• To process financial transactions
• To manage NHS dental care
• To communicate with you about appointments, treatment plans, and other relevant matters
• To communicate with your emergency contacts or next of kin if needed
• To refer you to other dental or medical professionals
• For legal compliance, including sending data to the General Dental Council

Data We Process

• Personal details: Name, address, date of birth, NHS number, medical and dental history, family medical history, marital status, financial details for processing payments, and doctor’s contact details.
• Special category data: Sensitive data such as ethnicity, race, religion, and sexual orientation to meet obligations under the Equality Act 2010.

Retention of Data

• Patient clinical records: Minimum of 10 years, or longer if required.
• Staff records: 6 years.
• Other personal data: 2 years after it was last processed.

Your Data Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to be informed about the collection and use of your personal data
• Right of access to a free copy of your data
• Right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to deletion of personal data (clinical records must be kept for a certain period)
• Right to restrict processing of your personal data
• Right to data portability to have your data transferred
• Right to object to data processing
• Rights in relation to automated decision-making and profiling

Practical Examples of Your Rights

• If you are a patient, you can withdraw consent for marketing, newsletters, or surveys. You can also request a free copy of your patient records within one month.
• If you are not a patient, you can request to withdraw consent, obtain a free copy of your data, or correct any errors.

Data Security

We have carried out a Privacy Impact Assessment and you can request a copy. Details on how we ensure the security of your data can be found in our Security Risk Assessment and Information Governance Procedures.

Comments, Suggestions, and Complaints
For comments, suggestions, or complaints about data processing, please contact Thomas Norlin, Information Governance Lead, at:

• Email: Enquiries@marlowdentalcentre.co.uk
• Phone: 01628 486 096
• Address: 18 Institute Road, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 1BN

If you are dissatisfied with our response, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for further assistance.

Related Practice Procedures

You may request copies of the following practice policies or procedures:

• Data Protection and Information Security Policy
• Consent Policy
• Privacy Impact Assessment
• Information Governance Procedures
• Record Retention Procedure

Contact Details

• Information Governance Lead: Thomas Norlin
• Email: Enquiries@marlowdentalcentre.co.uk
• Phone: 01628 486 096

Date Published: 25/03/2025