Privacy Policy

Josh Plaut Ltd 2021

I understand how important it is to keep your personal information safe and secure and I take this very seriously. I have taken steps to make sure your personal information is looked after in the best possible way and I review this regularly
Please read this privacy notice (‘Privacy Notice’) carefully, as it contains important information about how I use the personal and healthcare information I collect on your behalf.

  1. WHY I AM PROVIDING THIS PRIVACY NOTICE

I am required to provide you with this Privacy Notice by Law. It explains how I use the personal and healthcare information I collect, store and hold about you. If you are unclear about how I process or use your personal and healthcare information, or you have any questions about this Privacy Notice or any other issue regarding your personal and healthcare information, then please do contact me.

The Law says:

  1. I must let you know why I collect personal and healthcare information about you;
  1. I must let you know how I use any personal and/or healthcare information I hold on you;
  1. I need to inform you in respect of what I do with it;
  1. I need to tell you about who I share it with or pass it on to and why; and
  1. I need to let you know how long I can keep it for.
  • THE DATA PROTECTION OFFICER

The Data Protection Officer is Dr Joshua Plaut. You can contact him at drjoshplaut@gmail.com

  • You have any questions about how your information is being held;
  • If you require access to your information or if you wish to make a change to your information;
  • If you wish to make a complaint about anything to do with the personal and healthcare information I hold about you;
  • Or any other query relating to this Policy and your rights as a patient.
  • ABOUT ME

In this Privacy notice I use “we” or “us” or “our” or “Josh Plaut Ltd” to refer to Dr Joshua Plaut. I am a Data Controller of your information. This means I am responsible for collecting, storing and handling your personal and healthcare information when you contact me.

There may be times where I also process your information. That means I use it for a particular purpose and, therefore, on those occasions I may also be a Data Processor. The purposes for which I use your information are set out in this Privacy Notice.

  • WHAT INFORMATION DO I COLLECT FROM YOU

Personal Information:

The information I collect from you will include:

  1. Your contact details (such as your name, telephone number and email address);
  2. Details in relation to your son’s medical history;

Special Categories Personal Information:

I will also hold information relating to your son’s medical treatment which is known as a special category of personal data under the law, meaning that it must be handled even more sensitively. The special categories of personal information I hold about you/your son may include:

  1. Details of your current or former physical or mental health. This may include information about any healthcare you have received or need, including appointments and medicines administered.

HOW DO I COLLECT INFORMATION ABOUT YOU/ YOUR SON ?

Information may be collected directly from you when:

  1. You complete a consent form
  2. You complete enquiry / contact / appointment/ registration  forms on my website
  3. You correspond with me by letter, email, telephone

I also collect personal information about you when it is sent to me from a hospital, a consultant or any other medical or healthcare professional, or any other person involved with your general healthcare.

6. WHO I MAY PROVIDE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION TO, AND WHY

Any information I hold regarding your or your son’s medical history, care or treatments will remain completely confidential. It will only be shared with your permission or unless otherwise required by law.

I may pass your personal information on to the following people or organisations, because these organisations may require your information to assist them in the provision of your direct healthcare needs. It, therefore, may be important for them to be able to access your information in order to ensure they may properly deliver their services to you:

  1. Hospital professionals (such as doctors, consultants, nurses, etc);
  2. Anyone you asked me to communicate with
  3. Your GP

I may also disclose your (non medical) information to the parties listed below for the reasons set out in this Privacy Notice. These may include:

  1. Government bodies, including HMRC
  1. Regulatory bodies
  1. The police and other third parties where reasonable necessary for the prevention of detection of crime.
  1. My insurers

7.   ANONYMISED INFORMATION

Sometimes I may provide information about you in an anonymised form. If I do so, then none of the information I provide to any other party will identify you as an individual and cannot be traced back to you.

8. YOUR RIGHTS AS A PATIENT

The Law gives you certain rights to your personal and healthcare information that I hold, as set out below:

  1. Access and Subject Access Requests

You have the right to see what information I hold about you or your son and to request a copy of this information.

If you would like a copy of the information I hold about you or your son please request this in writing or via email.I will provide this information free of charge however, I may in some limited and exceptional circumstances have to make an administrative charge for any extra copies if the information requested is excessive, complex or repetitive.

I have one month to reply to you and give you the information that you require. I would ask, therefore, that any requests you make are in writing and it is made clear to me what and how much information you require. 

  1. Correction

I want to make sure that your personal information is accurate and up to date. You may ask me to correct any information you think is inaccurate. It is very important that you make sure you tell me if your contact details including your mobile phone number has changed.

  1. Removal

You have the right to ask for your information to be removed however, if I require this information to assist me in providing you with appropriate medical services and diagnosis for your healthcare, then removal may not be possible. You would need to make an appointment with Dr Plaut  to discuss this.

  1. Objection

I cannot share your information with anyone else for a purpose that is not directly related to your health, e.g. medical research, educational purposes, etc. I would ask you for your consent in order to do this however, you have the right to request that your personal and healthcare information is not shared by the clinic in this way. Please note the Anonymised Information section in this Privacy Notice.

  1. Transfer

 You have the right to request that your personal and/or healthcare information is transferred, in an electronic form (or other form), to another organisation, but I will require your clear consent to be able to do this.

9. THIRD PARTIES MENTIONED ON YOUR MEDICAL RECORD

Sometimes I record information about third parties mentioned by you to us during any consultation. I am under an obligation to make sure I also protect that third party’s rights as an individual and to ensure that references to them which may breach their rights to confidentiality, are removed before I send any information to any other party including yourself. Third parties can include: parents.

10.   HOW I USE THE INFORMATION ABOUT YOU

I use your personal and healthcare information in the following ways:

  1. when I need to speak to, or contact other doctors, consultants, nurses or any other medical/healthcare professional or organisation during the course of your treatment or ongoing healthcare;
  1. when I am required by Law to hand over your information to any other organisation, such as the police, by court order, solicitors, or immigration enforcement.

I will never pass on your personal information to anyone else who does not need it, or has no right to it, unless you give me clear consent to do so.

11. LEGAL JUSTIFICATION FOR COLLECTING AND USING YOUR INFORMATION

The Law says I need a legal basis to handle your personal and healthcare information.

CONSENT: Sometimes I also rely on the fact that you give me consent to use your personal and healthcare information so that I can take care of your healthcare needs.

Please note that you have the right to withdraw consent at any time if you no longer wish to receive services from me.

NECESSARY CARE: Providing you with the appropriate healthcare, where necessary. The Law refers to this as ‘protecting your vital interests’ where you may be in a position not to be able to consent. 

LAW: Sometimes the Law obliges us to provide your information to an organisation (see above).

12. SPECIAL CATEGORIES

The Law states that personal information about your health falls into a special category of information because it is very sensitive. Reasons that may entitle me to use and process your information may be as follows:

PUBLIC INTEREST: Where I may need to handle your personal information when it is considered to be in the public interest. For example, when there is an outbreak of a specific disease and I need to contact you for treatment, or I need to pass your information to relevant organisations to ensure you receive advice and/or treatment;

CONSENT: When you have given me consent;

VITAL INTEREST: If you are incapable of giving consent, and I have to use your information to protect your vital interests (e.g. if you have had an accident and you need emergency treatment);

DEFENDING A CLAIM: If I need your information to defend a legal claim against me by you, or by another party;

PROVIDING YOU WITH MEDICAL CARE: Where I need your information to provide you with medical and healthcare services

13. HOW LONG I KEEP YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

I carefully consider any personal information that I store about you, and I will not keep your information for longer than is necessary for the purposes as set out in this Privacy Notice.

14. IF ENGLISH IS NOT YOUR FIRST LANGUAGE

If English is not your first language you can request a translation of this Privacy Notice. Please contact me.

15. COMPLAINTS

If you have a concern about the way I handle your personal data or you have a complaint about what I are doing, or how I have used or handled your personal and/or healthcare information, please write to me in the first instance.

However, you have a right to raise any concern or complaint with the UK information regulator, at the Information Commissioner’s Office: https://ico.org.uk/.

16. SECURITY

I take the security of your information very seriously and I do everything I can to ensure that your information is always protected and secure. I regularly update our processes and systems. I also carry out assessments and audits of the information that I hold about you and make sure that if I provide any other services, I carry out proper assessments and security reviews.

17. TEXT MESSAGING AND CONTACTING YOU

Because I am obliged to protect any confidential information I hold about you and I take this very seriously, it is imperative that you let us know immediately if you change any of your contact details.

I may contact you using SMS texting or other communication software such as WhatsApp to your mobile phone in the event that I need to notify you about appointments and other services that I provide to you involving your direct care, therefore you must ensure that I have your up to date details. This is to ensure I are sure I am actually contacting you and not another person.

18. WHERE TO FIND MY PRIVACY NOTICE

You may find a copy of this Privacy Notice on my website, or a copy may be provided on request.

19. CHANGES TO MY PRIVACY NOTICE

I regularly review and update our Privacy Notice. This Privacy Notice was last updated on 1st October 2024.