Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Dental Implants London, a dedicated department of South Kensington Medical and Dental Limited ("we", "our", "us"), is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you use our website, services, or interact with us.

We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Data Controller

The data controller responsible for your personal data is:

3. Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

3.1 Information You Provide

• Identity Data: Name, title, date of birth
• Contact Data: Address, email address, telephone numbers
• Health Data: Medical history, dental records, X-rays, treatment plans, and clinical notes
• Financial Data: Payment card details, bank account information, insurance details
• Communications: Records of correspondence with us via email, phone, or in person

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Technical Data: IP address, browser type and version, device information, operating system
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, navigation paths, referral source
• Cookie Data: Information collected through cookies and similar technologies (see our Cookie Policy)

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

4.1 Providing Dental Care

• Diagnosing and treating dental conditions
• Managing appointments and sending reminders
• Creating and maintaining your dental records
• Referring you to specialists when necessary
• Processing payments for treatment

4.2 Legal and Regulatory Compliance

• Meeting our obligations under healthcare regulations
• Complying with CQC (Care Quality Commission) requirements
• Responding to legal requests and court orders
• Maintaining records as required by the GDC (General Dental Council)

4.3 Communications

• Sending appointment confirmations and reminders
• Providing information about your treatment
• Responding to your enquiries
• Sending marketing communications (only with your consent)

4.4 Improving Our Services

• Analysing website usage to improve user experience
• Conducting patient satisfaction surveys
• Training and quality assurance

5. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Contract: Processing necessary to provide dental treatment you have requested
• Legal Obligation: Processing required to comply with healthcare laws and regulations
• Vital Interests: Processing necessary to protect your life or health in emergencies
• Consent: Processing based on your explicit consent (e.g., marketing communications)
• Legitimate Interests: Processing for our legitimate business interests, where these don't override your rights

For special category data (health information), we rely on the legal basis of providing healthcare treatment under Article 9(2)(h) of UK GDPR.

6. Who We Share Your Data With

We may share your personal data with:

• Dental Laboratories: To create crowns, dentures, and other dental appliances
• Specialist Dentists: When referrals are needed for complex treatments
• NHS and Health Authorities: For reporting and regulatory purposes
• Insurance Companies: To process claims (with your consent)
• Payment Processors: To securely process card payments
• IT Service Providers: Who maintain our practice management systems
• Legal and Professional Advisors: When required for legal matters

We require all third parties to respect the security of your personal data and treat it in accordance with the law. We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal data in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements:

• Adult Dental Records: 10 years after the last treatment or until the patient reaches age 25 (whichever is longer)
• Children's Records: Until the patient reaches age 25, or 10 years after last treatment (whichever is longer)
• X-rays and Clinical Images: As long as they remain clinically relevant, minimum 10 years
• Financial Records: 7 years for tax and accounting purposes
• Marketing Consent Records: Until consent is withdrawn, plus 2 years

8. Data Security

We have implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Secure access controls and authentication
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Staff training on data protection
• Physical security measures at our premises
• Regular backups and disaster recovery procedures

9. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Right to Restrict Processing: Request limitation of how we use your data
• Right to Data Portability: Request transfer of your data to another provider
• Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for marketing
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 2. We will respond within one month. There is no fee for most requests, but we may charge a reasonable fee for repetitive or unfounded requests.

10. International Data Transfers

Your personal data is primarily stored and processed within the United Kingdom. If we need to transfer data outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the ICO, or transfers to countries with adequate data protection laws.

11. Cookies

Our website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and analyse website traffic. For detailed information about the cookies we use and how to manage them, please see our Cookie Policy.

12. Children's Privacy

We provide dental services to patients of all ages. For patients under 16, we require parental or guardian consent for treatment and data processing. Parents and guardians may exercise data protection rights on behalf of children in their care.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting a notice on our website or contacting you directly. The date of the last update is shown at the top of this policy.

14. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, please contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: