Cat basking in sunshine.Dog playing with ball.PuppyCat Eating Food.Dog in a Sunny Field.Dog playing with stick.Cat on a Fence.Dog at the Sea.

Privacy Notice

(Why I collect your personal data and what I do with it)


When you supply me with your personal details, this information is stored and processed for four reasons in line with the Data Protection Act 2018, which includes the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

  1. Your request that I treat your animal and my agreement to provide that treatment constitutes a contract. I need to collect your personal details in order to keep records of your animal’s treatment. This is to satisfy the requirements of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and my professional indemnity insurers, The Veterinary Defence Society.
  2. I have a legitimate interest in keeping records and satisfying the above requirements in order to provide safe and effective treatment.
  3. You and I both have a legitimate interest in me keeping records of your contact information so that I may contact you to confirm, amend or cancel appointments.
  4. With your consent, verbal or written, I may provide you with advice directly relevant to your animal’s health. You may withdraw this consent at any time – just let me know by any convenient method.

Your contact details and emails are stored on a password-protected computer and a password-protected blackberry, invoices and receipts with names and addresses are stored on a password-protected computer, and all electronic data is backed up onto a drive and stored in a locked cabinet in my home office. Your animal’s clinical records and a copy of your contact details are stored on paper in a locked cabinet in my home office. I will keep records for a minimum of six years after your animal’s most recent appointment. After that you can ask me to delete your records if you wish.

I am the only person with access to the above records, emails and contact details. I will, in accordance with the contract to provide your animal with treatment, report back to your conventional (referring) veterinary surgeon on the progress of your animal’s treatment. I will only share your information, with your consent, in the following circumstances:

  1. In order to make an appointment for your animal at one of the veterinary surgeries where I run acupuncture clinics.
  2. In order to provide a veterinary colleague or healthcare professional with information about your animal’s treatment, for example if you make an appointment to see them.

You have the right to see what personal data of yours I hold, and you can also ask me to correct any factual errors. I will aim to respond as quickly as possible to any reasonable request for access to personal data, and am legally required to do so within 30 days.

I want you to be confident that I am treating your personal data responsibly, and that I will do all I can to ensure that the only people who can access that data have a genuine need to do so. If you feel I am mishandling your personal data in some way, you have the right to complain. Please contact me and I will do my best to address your concerns. If you are still not satisfied you can make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office at https://ico.org.uk/concerns

Back to Top