GDPR & Privacy Policy

West House Dental is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This policy explains when and why we collect personal information, how we use it, when we may share it, and how we keep it secure in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

What Personal Data We Collect

To provide high-quality dental care, we may collect and hold personal information about you, including:

Your contact details (e.g. name, address, telephone number, email)
Medical and dental history and current condition
Treatment details, clinical records, x-rays, photographs and study models
Records of consent to treatment
Correspondence relating to your care, including with other healthcare professionals
Website usage data and online interactions (where applicable)

How We Collect Your Information

We collect personal data when you:

Register as a patient at the practice
Complete forms in practice or on our website
Contact us by phone, email, post, SMS or social media
Attend appointments with us

Why We Process Your Data

We process your personal data for the following lawful purposes:

To provide safe and effective dental care
To manage your treatment and appointments
To contact you about treatment, recalls and reminders
To respond to enquiries, feedback or complaints
For administrative and practice management purposes
To fulfil legal and regulatory requirements

Sharing Your Information

We may share your information where necessary with:

Other healthcare professionals involved in your care
Your GP or hospital services
Regulatory bodies when required by law
Dental payment plan administrators or insurers (with your consent)
Third parties providing services on our behalf (e.g. IT support)

We will never share your personal data for marketing purposes without your explicit consent.

How We Protect Your Data

We take the security and confidentiality of your information seriously. We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data from unauthorised access, loss or misuse. These measures include secure systems, password protection, encrypted storage, and staff training.

How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain your dental records and clinical information for at least 11 years after your last appointment, or until age 25 for patients who are minors, whichever is longer. Retention periods may be updated in line with legal and regulatory requirements.