Privacy policy

This privacy policy explains how Sefton Acupuncture Clinic Limited collects, uses and protects your personal information, and the rights you have over it. The terms in bold are terms used in UK data protection law (the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018).

Who we are

Sefton Acupuncture Clinic Limited (company number 05113068) is the data controller for the personal information described in this policy. This means we decide how and why your information is used.

If you have any questions about this policy or how we use your information, please contact Clare Trohear (Company Director):

• by email: info@seftonacupuncture.co.uk
• by phone: 01704 873873
• by post: Sefton Acupuncture Clinic, 2 New Rd, Formby, L37 6BW

The information we collect

When you contact us or come for treatment, we collect:

• your contact details, such as your name, address, date of birth, telephone number and email address;
• information about your health, including your medical history, any medication, the reasons you have come for treatment and notes about the treatment you receive;
• your appointment records; and
• your contact preferences.

We do not collect your personal details unless you provide them to us.

Why we use your information and our legal basis

1. To provide your treatment. We need information about you and your health to treat you safely. Your request for treatment and our agreement to provide that care form a contract (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(b)). You can refuse to provide information, but if you do, we may not be able to treat you.
2. To keep proper clinical and appointment records. We have a legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f)) in keeping accurate records, because without them we could not do our job effectively and safely.
3. To contact you about your appointments and care. We use your contact details to confirm appointments and to update you on matters related to your treatment. This is in your legitimate interest as well as ours (Article 6(1)(f)).
4. To send you clinic updates, only if you agree. Provided we have your consent (Article 6(1)(a)), we may send you clinic updates by email or text, such as general health information, articles or newsletters. You can withdraw your consent at any time by letting us know.

Your health information

Information about your health is special category data, which the law protects more strictly. As well as one of the legal bases above, we rely on UK GDPR Article 9(2)(h): the processing is necessary for the provision of health care and is carried out by, or under the responsibility of, a professional who owes you a duty of confidentiality. This is supported by Schedule 1, Part 1, paragraph 2 of the Data Protection Act 2018 (health or social care purposes).

Your practitioner is a member of the British Acupuncture Council and owes you a duty of confidentiality.

Who we share your information with

We will never share your information with anyone who does not need access without your consent. Only the following have routine access to it:

• your practitioner, so that they can provide your treatment;
• our reception staff, who organise our practitioners’ diaries and coordinate appointments and reminders (they do not have access to your medical history or other sensitive information); and
• Google, which provides Google Sheets, the software we use to keep our appointment records.

Where it is clinically necessary, we may share relevant information with your GP or another healthcare professional involved in your care, with your consent where appropriate.

From time to time, we may employ consultants to carry out tasks that could give them access to your personal information (but not your medical notes). We make sure they understand that this information is confidential, and they sign a non-disclosure agreement.

We do not sell your information or pass it to anyone for marketing. We may disclose information where the law requires us to.

How we store and protect your information

Your records are stored:

• on paper, in locked filing cabinets; the offices are always locked and alarmed out of working hours;
• electronically, in Google Sheets, provided by Google. Access is password protected, and the passwords are changed regularly; and
• on our office computers, which are password protected and backed up regularly; the offices are locked and alarmed out of working hours.

We do everything we can to make sure that the only people who can access your information have a genuine need to do so.

Transfers outside the UK

Google may store and process information on servers outside the UK. Where this happens, your information is protected by safeguards recognised under UK data protection law, as set out in Google’s data processing terms.

How long we keep your information

We keep your clinical records for at least seven years after your most recent appointment, or until you reach the age of 25 if that is later, in line with professional guidance. After this period, we review records and securely destroy those we no longer need, unless you ask us to keep them so that we can continue to treat you in future.

If you have agreed to receive clinic updates, we keep your contact details for that purpose until you withdraw your consent.

Your rights

You have the right to:

• access your information: ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you;
• rectification: ask us to correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete;
• erasure: ask us to delete your information. We may need to keep your clinical records for the minimum period above, but we will tell you if this applies;
• restriction: ask us to limit how we use your information, for example while we check its accuracy;
• object to us using your information where we rely on our legitimate interests, and to stop receiving clinic updates at any time;
• data portability: ask for the information you have given us in a commonly used electronic format, or for it to be sent to another organisation, where we use it on the basis of your consent or our contract with you; and
• withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on your consent.

We do not make decisions about you using only automated means.

To use any of these rights, contact us at info@seftonacupuncture.co.uk. There is normally no charge, and we will respond within one month.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have used your information, please contact Clare Trohear using the details above and we will try to put things right.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or on 0303 123 1113.

Our website and cookies

We do not collect personal information through this website. If you email us, we use your details only to reply to you and to arrange any appointment.

This website does not use analytics, advertising or marketing cookies. Any cookies or similar technologies used are strictly necessary for the operation and security of the website.

Website terms of use and disclaimer

The following terminology applies to these Terms of Use and Disclaimer Notice and any or all Agreements: “You” and “Your” refers to you, the person accessing this website and accepting our terms and conditions. “Sefton Acupuncture Clinic”, “Sefton”, “Clinic”, “Our”, “Ourselves”, “We” and “Us” refers to Sefton Acupuncture Clinic Limited.

Terms of use

The copyright in all of the material on this website belongs to Sefton Acupuncture Clinic. You can download any of the material for your own use on the following terms.

You accept all risks from downloading, installing or using the material. We will not be responsible for damage (including damage caused by viruses) to your computer or software, or any losses you suffer as a result of downloading, installing or using the material.

You must not, without our permission in writing:

• reproduce or redistribute any of the material;
• alter any of the material; or
• alter or remove any copyright notices on the material.

Disclaimer notice

The information on the Sefton Acupuncture Clinic website is for information and guidance only. We maintain this website to improve public access to information about acupuncture and to offer commercial services.

We try to keep all the information on the Sefton Acupuncture Clinic website accurate and up to date. If you find any mistakes, please let us know. We will try to correct mistakes as soon as possible. However, we do not accept responsibility or liability for the information on the Sefton Acupuncture Clinic website.

The information on this site is not necessarily complete, accurate or up to date. We sometimes provide links to other websites which we have no control over and which we are not responsible for. We do not accept responsibility for any loss, disruption or damage to your information or your computer system as a result of using material from this website.

We cannot control the content or take responsibility for pages that are maintained by other organisations and are linked to this site. Any information, products or services on those sites are not necessarily endorsed or recommended by us.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. This version was last updated in October 2026.