Clinic privacy policy

The below privacy statement relates to patients who attend my clinic.
A separate policy relating to use of this website is available here: Website privacy policy.

Last revised: 24 June, 2026

How I use your personal information

This Privacy Notice explains why my clinic collects information about you and how that information may be used.

I, as a medical herbalist, record your health information as part of the consultation that takes place. This includes if you just call me or drop in and see me for a chat.

My records may be electronic, on paper or a mixture of both, and I use a combination of working practices and technology to ensure that your information is kept confidential and secure. Records I may hold about you may include the following information:

Details about you, such as your name, address, carers, legal representatives and emergency contact details
Any contact the clinic has had with you, such as appointments, clinic visits, emails and telephone calls, etc.
Notes and reports about your health
Details about your treatment and care
Results of investigations such as laboratory tests, x-rays, etc. (when provided by you).

To ensure you receive the best possible care, your records are used to facilitate the care you receive. Information held about you may be used to help protect the health of the public.

Sometimes your information may be requested to be used for research purposes – if this is the case, I will always gain your consent before releasing the information for this purpose.

I review these procedures and the data I hold on patients on an annual basis.

How do I maintain the confidentiality of your records?

I am committed to protecting your privacy and will only use information collected lawfully in accordance with the:

My insurance policy as a medical herbalist

I have, as a qualified and insured medical herbalist, a legal obligation to keep information about you confidential.

I will only ever use or pass on information about you if others involved in your care have a genuine need for it.

I will not disclose your information to any third party without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances (i.e. life or death situations), where the law requires information to be passed on and / or in accordance with the information sharing principle following Dame Fiona Caldicott’s information sharing review (Information to share or not to share) where “The duty to share information can be as important as the duty to protect patient confidentiality.”

This means that health and social care professionals should have the confidence to share information in the best interests of their patients within the framework set out by the Caldicott principles. They should be supported by the policies of their employers, regulators and professional bodies.

Partner organisations

I may also have to share your information, subject to strict agreements on how it will be used, with the following organisations:

NHS Trusts / Foundation Trusts
GPs
Independent Contractors such as dentists, opticians, pharmacists
Private Sector Providers
Voluntary Sector Providers
Social Care Services
Local Authorities
Education Services
Police & Judicial Services

You will be informed who your data will be shared with and in most cases asked for explicit consent for this to happen when this is required.

Withdrawal of consent

In order for me to keep your data I need your consent. This takes the form of a consent form that you will be asked to read and sign. You have the option to withdraw your consent at any time by contacting me via email or post.

Access to personal information

You have a right under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 to request access to view or to obtain copies of what information my clinic holds about you and to have it amended should it be inaccurate. In order to request this, you need to do the following:

Your request must be made in writing to the clinic
There may be a charge to have a printed copy of the information held about you
I am required to respond to you within 40 days
You will need to give adequate information (for example full name, address, date of birth and details of your request) so that your identity can be verified and your records located.

Objections / complaints

Should you have any concerns about how your information is managed, please contact me via the form on this page: https://markpillans.uk/contact/. Also, if you prefer, a correspondence address is available on request. If you are still unhappy following a review by the lead clinical supervisor, you can then complain to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) via their website (www.ico.gov.uk).

If you are happy for your data to be extracted and used for the purposes described in this privacy notice then you do not need to do anything. If you have any concerns about how your data is shared then please contact please contact me via the form on this page: https://markpillans.uk/contact/. Also, if you prefer, a correspondence address is available on request.

Change of Details

It is important that you tell me if any of your details such as your name or address have changed so that these can be updated in my records. You have a responsibility to inform me of any changes so that my records are accurate and up to date for you.

Notification

The Data Protection Act 2018 requires data handlers to register with the Information Commissioner and to describe the purposes for which they process personal and sensitive information.

This information is publicly available on the Information Commissioners Office website www.ico.org.uk.

I am registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).

Who is the Data Controller?

The Data Controller, responsible for keeping your information secure and confidential is: Mark Pillans.

Complaints

Should you have any concerns about how your information is managed. Please contact me via the form on this page: https://markpillans.uk/contact/. Also, if you prefer, a correspondence address is available on request.

If you are still unhappy following a review by the clinic, you can then complain to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO): www.ico.org.uk, casework@ico.org.uk, telephone: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745.