1. Introduction
This Privacy Policy explains how RYC DENTAL LIMITED handles personal information. RYCDental is the developer and operator named in the details above, and the practice is responsible for the personal data that it holds about patients, enquirers and visitors to this website. We take the privacy of every individual seriously and we aim to be transparent about everything we do with personal information.
Dental care depends on trust. A patient who sits in the chair must be confident that information shared with the clinical team will be used only for the purposes of care, administration and legal record keeping. This policy sets out those purposes in plain terms, describes the choices available to you, and explains how you can exercise the rights that the law gives you over your own information.
We have written this document so that it can be understood without legal training. Where a technical term is necessary, we explain it in everyday language. If anything remains unclear after reading, please contact us using the details at the end of this policy and we will be pleased to help.
2. Who We Are
RYC DENTAL LIMITED is a dental practice operating from 8 Fern Hill Road, Shipley - BD18 4RW, United Kingdom (GB). The practice provides general, preventive, cosmetic and family dentistry to patients living in Shipley, Baildon, Saltaire, Bradford and the surrounding district.
For the purposes of data protection law, RYC DENTAL LIMITED is the data controller in respect of the information described in this policy. As controller, the practice decides why personal information is collected and how it is used, and is accountable for keeping it safe and handling it lawfully.
You can contact the practice about any privacy matter by writing to 8 Fern Hill Road, Shipley - BD18 4RW, United Kingdom (GB), by emailing reach@rycdental.hair, or by calling +15708731318 during business hours.
3. Scope of This Policy
This policy applies to personal information that RYC DENTAL LIMITED collects when you attend the surgery, when you contact the practice by telephone, email, letter or website form, and when you use this website.
It also applies to information that other health professionals send to the practice on your behalf, such as a referral from a general medical practitioner or another dental professional. It does not apply to websites owned by other organisations, even where a link to them appears on our pages.
This policy covers both clinical and non clinical information. That includes the records that support your dental care as well as the administrative details needed to arrange appointments, send correspondence and manage accounts.
4. Information We Collect
We collect several categories of personal information depending on how you interact with the practice. The categories below describe the broad types of data that we may hold.
- Identity information, such as your full name, date of birth and, where relevant, your title.
- Contact information, such as your postal address, telephone number and email address.
- Clinical information, including dental and medical history, examination findings, diagnoses, treatment plans and details of care provided.
- Appointment information, including the dates and times of visits, cancellations and recall intervals.
- Financial information, such as records of payments made for treatment and, where applicable, account references used for billing.
- Correspondence, including emails, letters and notes of telephone conversations that relate to your care or to the running of the practice.
- Website information, such as the message content you submit through the contact form and limited technical data used to keep the site working.
We collect only the information that is needed for a specific purpose. We do not gather unrelated personal details simply because they are available, and we do not buy personal information from third parties for marketing purposes.
5. How We Collect Information
Most of the information we hold comes directly from you. When you register as a patient, complete a medical history form, attend an examination or send a message, you provide information that the practice then records.
Some information is created during the course of care. Clinical notes, images and treatment records are generated by the dental team as part of your appointments, and these form an important part of your dental history.
We may also receive information from other sources. A hospital, a general medical practitioner or another dental practice may send a referral or a summary of treatment. Where that happens, the information is added to your record and used for the same purposes set out in this policy.
Finally, a small amount of information is collected automatically when you visit the website. This is limited to the technical data described in the section on cookies and website tools.
6. Why We Use Information
We use personal information for a defined set of purposes. Each purpose is necessary for the safe and effective operation of a dental practice.
- To assess oral health and provide dental treatment safely and appropriately.
- To maintain accurate clinical records that allow continuity of care over time.
- To arrange, confirm and remind you about appointments.
- To communicate with you about your care, including treatment options and aftercare advice.
- To manage payments, accounts and any insurance or billing matters that relate to your treatment.
- To meet legal, regulatory and professional obligations that apply to dental practices.
- To respond to enquiries submitted through the website or by other means.
- To improve the quality of our services and the safety of our patients.
- To handle complaints, concerns and requests in a fair and consistent way.
We do not use your information for any purpose that is incompatible with the reasons it was collected. If a genuinely new purpose arises, we will tell you about it and, where the law requires, ask for your consent before proceeding.
7. Our Lawful Bases
Data protection law requires us to identify a lawful basis for each use of personal information. The practice relies on the following bases.
Provision of health care. The processing of clinical information is necessary for the purposes of preventive medicine, medical diagnosis and the provision of health care. This basis applies when we examine, diagnose and treat patients.
Contract. When you engage the practice to provide dental services, we process the information needed to deliver that service and to manage the related arrangements.
Legal obligation. Dental practices must keep certain records and disclose certain information to regulators and public authorities. Where the law requires action, we process the minimum information necessary to comply.
Legitimate interests. We have a legitimate interest in running a safe and efficient practice, responding to enquiries and improving our services. We balance that interest against your rights and freedoms before relying on it.
Consent. For certain optional activities, such as sending non essential updates, we rely on your consent. You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the care you receive.
8. Special Category Health Information
Information about your dental and general health is treated as a special category of personal data, which attracts additional protection under the law. RYC DENTAL LIMITED handles this information with particular care.
Health information is used to plan safe treatment. Knowing about medical conditions, allergies, medication and previous surgery allows the dental team to avoid complications and to adapt care to your individual needs. Without that information, treatment could present avoidable risks.
Access to clinical records is restricted to members of the dental team who need it to provide care or to support that care. Records are held securely and are shared only where it is necessary for your treatment, where you have asked us to share them, or where the law requires disclosure.
10. Marketing and Contact Preferences
We may contact you about your care, for example to confirm an appointment, to send a recall reminder or to discuss a treatment plan. These messages are part of the service you receive as a patient and are not marketing.
From time to time the practice may wish to send optional updates, such as news of new services or seasonal health advice. We will only send such messages where you have agreed to receive them, and every message will include a straightforward way to opt out.
You can change your contact preferences at any time by emailing reach@rycdental.hair or calling +15708731318. We will action your request promptly and will keep a record of it so that your wishes continue to be respected.
12. How Long We Keep Information
We keep personal information only for as long as it is needed for the purpose it was collected, and in line with the retention requirements that apply to dental records.
Clinical records are generally retained for a substantial period after the end of treatment because they support continuity of care and may be needed to answer questions about past treatment. The exact period depends on the type of record and the age of the patient at the time of treatment.
Administrative information, such as appointment histories and routine correspondence, is kept for a shorter period unless it forms part of the clinical record. Financial records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting rules.
When information is no longer needed, it is disposed of securely. Electronic records are deleted in a way that prevents recovery, and paper records are destroyed by a confidential shredding process.
13. How We Protect Information
Protecting personal information is a core part of running a safe dental practice. We use a combination of physical, technical and organisational measures to keep information secure.
- Clinical records are held on systems that require authentication and are access controlled by role.
- Premises are secured so that paper records and equipment are not available to unauthorised visitors.
- Staff receive training on confidentiality and on the safe handling of personal information.
- Devices that hold information are protected against unauthorised access and are kept up to date with security updates.
- Where information must be shared, we use secure methods appropriate to the sensitivity of the content.
No system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, and we are honest about that. If a breach of security were to occur that presented a risk to your rights, we would act quickly to contain it and would notify you and the relevant authority where the law requires us to do so.
14. Your Rights
You have a set of rights over the personal information that the practice holds about you. These rights are not absolute, and some are subject to conditions, but we will always explain how they apply in your case.
- Right of access. You may ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you and for information about how it is used.
- Right to rectification. You may ask us to correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
- Right to erasure. In certain circumstances you may ask us to delete information. This right is limited where the law requires us to keep records.
- Right to restrict processing. You may ask us to pause the use of your information while a concern is investigated.
- Right to object. You may object to processing that is based on legitimate interests, and we will consider your objection carefully.
- Right to data portability. Where processing is based on consent or contract and is carried out by automated means, you may ask for a copy of your information in a common format.
- Right to withdraw consent. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details at the end of this policy. We will respond within the period allowed by law and will ask for proof of identity where that is necessary to protect your information.
15. Privacy for Children
The practice treats patients of all ages, including young children. We take the privacy of younger patients especially seriously and handle their information with the same care that we apply to adult records.
Information about a child is usually provided by a parent or guardian. As a child grows older, the practice encourages them to take an increasing part in decisions about their care, in a way that is suited to their understanding.
Where a young person is able to make their own decisions about treatment, their confidentiality is respected. Parents and guardians are kept involved to the extent that the law and good practice allow. Privacy for Children is a matter we discuss openly so that families always know how information is being handled.
16. International Transfers
In general, personal information held by RYC DENTAL LIMITED is stored and processed within the United Kingdom. Our systems and suppliers are chosen with that preference in mind.
If a service provider is located outside the United Kingdom and information must be transferred to them, we take steps to ensure that the information receives an appropriate level of protection. Those steps may include contractual terms that require the recipient to protect the information to a standard consistent with the law that applies here.
We will not transfer personal information to a country or organisation that cannot demonstrate adequate protection, and we keep the number of such transfers to the minimum required for the operation of the practice.
17. Third Party Links
This website may include links to other websites, for example to a professional body or a health information resource. Those sites are operated by other organisations and are not under the control of RYC DENTAL LIMITED.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of external sites. When you follow a link away from our pages, we encourage you to read the privacy information provided by the site you are visiting, because its practices may differ from ours.
A link from our site to another does not imply that we endorse the privacy practices of that site, and it does not mean that we share personal information with it. Any sharing of information with an external organisation would be handled under the rules described in this policy.
18. Automated Decisions
We do not make decisions about your dental care by automated means alone. Clinical judgement is exercised by qualified members of the dental team, who consider your individual circumstances before recommending treatment.
Administrative tools may be used to help schedule appointments and manage reminders. These tools support the team rather than replacing human decisions, and they do not produce legal effects or otherwise significantly affect you on their own.
If this position were ever to change, we would tell you, explain the logic involved and provide a straightforward way to request human review of any decision that affected you.
19. Changes to This Policy
We review this Privacy Policy regularly and may update it to reflect changes in the law, in our services or in the way we operate. When we make a change, we will revise the date shown at the top of the page.
If a change is significant, we will make that clear on the website and, where appropriate, tell patients directly. We encourage you to review this policy from time to time so that you remain aware of how your information is protected.
Continued use of our services after an update takes effect indicates that you have had the opportunity to read the revised policy. Where the law requires consent to a change, we will ask for it separately.
20. Complaints
If you are unhappy about the way the practice has handled your personal information, please tell us first. Many concerns can be resolved quickly once they are brought to our attention, and we will take your complaint seriously.
You can raise a concern by emailing reach@rycdental.hair, by calling +15708731318, or by writing to 8 Fern Hill Road, Shipley - BD18 4RW, United Kingdom (GB). We will acknowledge your complaint and explain how it will be investigated.
If you remain dissatisfied after our response, you have the right to complain to the information regulator in the United Kingdom. We will provide the relevant contact details on request and will cooperate fully with any investigation.
21. How to Contact Us
We welcome questions about this Privacy Policy and about the way your information is handled. The practice is happy to explain any part of this document in more detail.
Registered name: RYC DENTAL LIMITED
Address: 8 Fern Hill Road, Shipley - BD18 4RW, United Kingdom (GB)
Email: reach@rycdental.hair
Phone: +15708731318
Please include your name and enough detail for us to identify your enquiry. We will respond within the period allowed by law, and sooner wherever we can. Thank you for taking the time to read this policy and for trusting RYC DENTAL LIMITED with your dental care.