Your Information - Hartley's Commitment To You

Have you ever wondered how we store your personal information and what security measures we have in place to ensure this information is completely secure? Well rest assured that we take this issue extremely seriously here at Hartley.What Are We Obliged To Do?Well firstly, we are registered with the Information Commissioners Office, which gives us the license to hold sensitive information about the people we see and treat. This registration also ties us in fully to the Data Protection Act 1998. This act lays out how we must protect the data we hold about you - rest assured we fully buy into this legislation. This act includes key 'data protection principles,' which are there to ensure that data is:

• Used fairly & lawfully,
• Used for limited & stated purposes,
• Used in a way that is adequate, relevant and not excessive,
• Accurate,
• Kept for no longer than is absolutely necessary,
• Handled according to peoples data protection rights,
• Kept safe & secure,
• Not transferred outside the European Economic Area without adequate protection.

So How Does Hartley Meet This Obligation?We have some really strong systems (electronic and physical) in place to ensure your information is stored securely and only used for the purposes it was collected for - your Oral Health in partnership with Hartley Dental!What are those systems and checks & balances I hear you cry? Well....1) We have a Data Protection policy, which reflects the Data Protection Act 1998 and commits our Team to abiding by these principles,2) The data protection policy goes hand in had with our confidentiality policy - which is designed to further ensure the safety of sensitive information within the Practice,3) The Hartley Team get regular training in these areas - we had half a day of Data Protection training on the 5th October this year,4) The information we enter into our appointments system, is held in a secure 'cloud' based storage system, which is managed by our partner Aerona Systems. This information is backed up in secure locations every 15 minutes, along with a further full back up every night at 01:00 - this is all approved and ratified by the Information Commissioners office,5) Any paper records held in relation to you, are kept locked in fire proof filing cabinets,6) We DO NOT share any of your information with anyone, unless specifically related to your care e.g. a referral to a specialist Dentist or Hospital department and we would only do this having spoken to you first and gained your consent for this to happen,7) Every visitor who comes to Hartley is required to sign a confidentiality agreement, which commits them to not accessing any information within the Practice - this is a legally binding agreement,8) The building is kept secure - we have a remotely monitored intruder alarm, which if activated will mean Charlie, Edd or another member of the team will be informed, along with the Police,9) We have a private area, where details which may be sensitive, can be discussed away from other peoples ears!The team strongly adhere to these policies and procedures, to ensure your information is NEVER compromised or misused. This is monitored and audited by the Practice Management on a regular basis to ensure compliance. We want you as our customers to be totally confident in our abilities to deal with your information legally, professionally and with a high level of care.Have any questions? Please feel free to give the Business Manager (Edd) a call on 01752 663057 - he will be happy to answer any questions that you may have.