Privacy Policy

Who we are

The Skin Shed is a skin health clinic in Poole, Dorset, run by Dr Sian Mew. We are the data controller for the personal information described in this policy, and are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) under registration number 00014103158. You can contact us about anything in this policy at contact@theskinshed.net.

Information we collect

• Your name, date of birth, address, email and phone number
• Booking, appointment and payment records
• Health and medical information, including your medical history, medications, allergies, consultation notes and treatment records
• Clinical photographs taken as part of your care
• Messages you send us through our contact form, email or social media
• Your marketing preferences, if you sign up to our emails

We do not store your full card details. Card payments are processed securely by our booking and payment providers.

How we use your information and why

We only use your information where the law allows us to:

• To provide your care: managing your bookings, consultations, treatments and aftercare, because this is necessary to provide the service you have asked for.
• To keep you safe and meet our obligations: keeping accurate medical records and meeting legal, regulatory and insurance requirements.
• To run the clinic well: responding to enquiries, handling complaints and improving our service, as part of our legitimate interests.
• To send you news and offers: only if you have opted in. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email.

Health information

Health information is special category data and receives extra protection. We process it because it is necessary for the provision of health care by a medical professional who has a duty of confidentiality. It is only used for your care, stored securely, and never used for marketing.

Clinical photographs form part of your medical record. They will never be shared publicly or used for marketing, including before and after images, without your separate written consent, which you can withdraw at any time.

Who we share your information with

We never sell your information. We only share it where necessary, with:

• Pabau, our clinic management system, which holds bookings, payments and clinical records, and provides our online reviews
• Netlify, which hosts our website
• Your GP or other healthcare professionals, where this is needed for your care. We will discuss this with you first unless there is an urgent safety reason
• Our professional advisers and insurers, and regulators or authorities where we are legally required to

Some of these providers may store data outside the UK. Where they do, appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it to UK standards.

How we keep your information safe

Your information is stored on secure, access-controlled systems and is only available to those who need it to provide your care. We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it from loss, misuse or unauthorised access.

How long we keep your information

• Medical records and clinical photographs: at least 8 years after your last appointment, in line with UK medical record-keeping guidance and our insurance requirements
• Payment and financial records: 6 years, as required for tax purposes
• Enquiries from people who do not become clients: up to 12 months
• Marketing preferences: until you unsubscribe

Cookies

Our website does not use advertising or analytics cookies. When you use our online booking or view our reviews, these are provided by Pabau, which may set its own cookies needed for those features to work. You can control cookies through your browser settings.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Ask us to correct anything that is inaccurate or incomplete
• Ask us to delete your information, where we are not required to keep it (medical records must be kept for the periods above)
• Ask us to restrict or object to how we use your information
• Ask for your information in a format you can take elsewhere
• Withdraw your consent at any time, for marketing or photographs

To make a request, email contact@theskinshed.net. There is no charge, and we will respond within one month.

Complaints

If you have a concern about how we handle your information, please contact us first and we will do our best to resolve it. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on this page.