Legal & Privacy Policy

At Dr. Chen's Traditional Chinese Medical Centre, we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your data in accordance with UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.

Data Controller: Dr. Chen's Traditional Chinese Medical Centre, operated by Mrs Qian Chen (ATCM registered practitioner)

Clinic Address: 13a Church Pl, Lurgan, Craigavon, County Armagh, BT66 6EY

Information We Collect

• Contact Information: Name, address, email, phone number
• Medical Information: Health history, symptoms, treatment notes, medications
• Appointment Data: Booking details, attendance records
• Payment Information: Transaction records (we do not store credit card details)
• Website Data: IP address, browser type, pages visited (for security and analytics)

How We Use Your Information

• To provide traditional Chinese medicine treatments and consultations
• To maintain accurate medical records
• To communicate about appointments, treatments, and health advice
• To process payments for services
• To comply with legal and regulatory requirements
• To improve our services and website functionality

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Consent: You have given clear consent for specific purposes
• Contract: Processing is necessary for our contract with you
• Legal Obligation: Required by law (medical record retention)
• Vital Interests: To protect life in emergency situations

Your medical information is protected by strict confidentiality requirements:

• Secure Storage: All patient records are stored securely with restricted access
• Confidentiality: We maintain professional confidentiality at all times
• Data Retention: Medical records are retained for 8 years as required by UK law
• Access Control: Only authorized personnel have access to patient information
• Encryption: Digital records are encrypted and password-protected

Information Sharing

We will only share your information in the following circumstances:

• With your explicit consent (e.g., referrals to other healthcare providers)
• When required by law or regulatory bodies
• In emergency situations where your health or safety is at risk
• With professional indemnity insurers (anonymized where possible)

We never sell or rent your personal information to third parties.

Our website uses minimal cookies for functionality and security:

Essential Cookies

• Session Cookies: Maintain your session while browsing
• Security Cookies: Protect against fraudulent activity

Analytics

We may use analytics tools to understand how visitors use our website. This helps us improve the user experience. All analytics data is anonymized and does not personally identify you.

Third-Party Services

• Google Maps (for location services)
• Content Delivery Networks (CDN) for website performance

Appointment Policy

• Booking: Appointments can be made by phone or email
• Cancellation: Please provide at least 24 hours notice for cancellations
• Late Cancellations: Cancellations with less than 24 hours notice may incur a charge
• No-Shows: Missed appointments without notice may be charged at full rate

Payment Terms

• Payment is due at the time of treatment
• We accept cash, card, and bank transfer
• Initial consultation fees are non-refundable
• Treatment packages must be used within specified timeframes

Professional Standards

Dr. Chen's Traditional Chinese Medical Centre adheres to the professional standards set by:

• Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ATCM)
• Professional Standards Authority (PSA)
• UK regulations for complementary medicine practitioners

Informed Consent

Before treatment, you will be provided with:

• Explanation of the proposed treatment
• Potential benefits and risks
• Alternative treatment options
• Expected duration and frequency of treatments
• Opportunity to ask questions and discuss concerns

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Right to Restrict Processing: Limit how we use your data
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format
• Right to Object: Object to certain types of processing
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time (where applicable)

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information below.

Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your data, you can:

• Contact us directly to resolve the issue
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):
  Website: ico.org.uk
  Phone: 0303 123 1113

For questions about this policy or to exercise your data rights, please contact: