Optivet Referrals Ltd Privacy Policy 

Policy Statement

Optivet Referrals is an independent specialist referral centre, with specialists in ophthalmology, surgery, internal medicine and anaesthesia. Our team focuses on all aspects of our patients wellbeing. Through knowledge-based growth and outstanding nursing care, our clinicians deliver effective treatments plans for our patients, keeping our clients informed throughout. 

The privacy of our clients’, suppliers’ and employees’ personal data is important to Optivet Referrals Ltd. Guarding that privacy is something we take very seriously. We have taken steps to ensure all data is kept secure throughout all past, present and future processes. Optivet is committed to being transparent about how it collects and uses the personal data and to meeting our data protection obligations. 

This privacy policy explains what personal data Optivet collects from you and how we use it. It sets out our commitment to data protection and individual rights and obligations in relation to personal data. 

The Managing Director of Optivet has the responsibility for data protection compliance within the organisation. They can be contacted at advice@optivet.com. Questions about this policy, or requests for further information should be directed to them. 

 

Definitions 

These definitions and interpretations apply to the content of this policy: 

  • Personal Data - is any information that relates to a living individual who can be identified from that information 
  • Processing - is any use that is made of data, including collecting, storing, amending, disclosing or destroying it. 

 

Data protection principles 

Optivet Referrals Ltd processes personal data in accordance with the following data protection principles: 

  • Optivet processes personal data lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner 
  • Optivet collects personal data only for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes 
  • Optivet processes personal data only where it is adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary for the purposes of processing 
  • Optivet keeps accurate personal data and takes all reasonable steps to ensure that inaccurate personal data is rectified or deleted without delay 
  • Optivet keeps personal data only for the period necessary for processing 
  • Optivet adopts appropriate measures to make sure that personal data is secure and protected against unauthorised or unlawful processing and accidental loss, destruction or damage. 

 

Personal data we collect 

We collect data in order to operate effectively, and to provide you with the best experience in relation to our veterinary services.  The information we collect includes the following: 

  • Name and contact data 

We collect first and last name, email address, postal address, phone numbers. 

  • Payment data 

We collect data necessary to process your payment such as bank details, credit card details and security codes associated with your payment 

  • IP address and cookies 

We may collect your IP address and use cookies when you visit our website unless you configure your browser not to accept them 

  • Employee data 

In addition to name, contact and payment data, we also collect birth date, NI Number, NOK and medical arrangements for contractual purposes. 

This data enables us to carry out all transactions efficiently. Therefore, we process data as the Data Controller.  

This information is taken directly from you, the individual, via phone, face-to-face interaction, or via our website enquiry form and is stored on our secure client relationship management (CRM) system. 

There are times where we may pass personal details to third parties for legal or contractual obligations. For example, insurance companies, Payroll provider, IT management,  

 

How we use personal data 

Optivet uses this data to provide a veterinary service, manage on going treatement and - if you agree - to email you about other services we think may be of interest to you. In providing this service, we may need to send some of your personal details to third parties such as insurance companies and credit reference agencies to ensure efficient transactions. All third parties are monitored through Third Party Agreements. 

All personal data will be processed with consent or on the grounds of legitimate interests. Where consent is required, we shall obtain it directly from you.  Where we have a legitimate interest in processing data (for example where we need to do so to provide veterinary treatment services) we shall do so but will always make it easy for you to opt-out of communications. 

 

How we store your data 

All personal data is stored securely on our CRM system and our financial systems. These systems have restricted access and are password protected. Any hard copy detailing personal data is filed and locked securely in an office with restricted access and securely shredded when appropriate.  We store this data as long as is necessary. For example, data required for HMRC purposes is retained for 7 years. All personal data is achived from account information on the systems after 18 months of inactive use. For more information on our retention and storage of information, please refer to our Data Retention Policy 

 

Individual rights 

As a data subject, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. 

Subject access rights 

You have the right to make a subject access request. If you choose to do so, Optivet will let you know: 

  • Whether or not your data is processed and if so why; the categories of personal data concerned; and the source of data if it is not collected directly from you 
  • To whom your data is, or may be disclosed, including recipients located outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) and the safeguards that apply to such transfers 
  • For how long your personal data is stored (or how that period is decided) 
  • Of your rights to rectify or erase data, or to restrict or object to processing 
  • Of your rights to complain to the Information Commissioner if you think Optivet Referrals Ltd has failed to comply with your data protection rights 
  • Whether or not Optivet Referrals Ltd carries out automated decision making and the logic involved to any such decision making 

 

Optivet Referrals Ltd will also provide you with a copy of the personal data undergoing processing. This will normally be in electronic form if you have made the request electronically, unless you agree otherwise. In some cases, we may ask you for proof of identification before the request can be processed. We shall inform you if you need to verify your identity and will tell you which documents we require. 

 

To make a subject access request, please email or write to us at the following: 

advice@optivet.com

c/o DPO 

Optivet Referrals Ltd 

3 Downley Road 

Havant 

Hampshire  

PO9 2NJ 

 

Optivet Referrals Ltd will normally respond to a request within one month from the date it is received. In some cases, such as where we process large amounts of individuals data, we may respond within three months of the date the request is received. Optivet will write to you within one month of receiving the original request to inform you if this is the case. 

If a subject access request is manifestly unfounded or excessive, Optivet Ltd is not obliged to comply with it. Alternatively, Optivet can agree to respond but will charge a fee, which will be based on the administrative cost of responding to the request. A subject access request is likely to be manifestly unfounded or excessive where it repeats a request to which Optivet has already responded. If you submit a request that is unfounded or excessive, the organisation will notify you that this is the case and inform you of whether or not we will respond to it. 

 

Other Individual rights 

Individuals also have a number of other rights in relation to their personal data. You can ask Optivet to: 

  • Rectify inaccurate data 
  • Stop processing or erase data that is no longer necessary for the purposes of processing 
  • Stop processing or erase data if your interests override Optivet’s legitimate grounds for processing data (where Optivet relies on its legitimate interests as a reason for processing data) 
  • Stop processing or erase data if processing is unlawful and 
  • Stop processing data for a period if data is inaccurate or if there is a dispute about whether or not your interest overrides Optivet’s legitimate grounds for processing data. 

To ask Optivet to take any of these steps, please send your request to advice@optivet.com. 

 

Data Security 

Optivet Ltd takes security of personal data seriously. We have internal policies and controls in place to protect personal data against loss, accidental destruction, misuse or disclosure and to ensure that data is not accessed, except by employees in the proper performance of their duties. 

Where Optivet engages with third parties to process personal data on our behalf, such parties do so on written instructions, are under a duty of confidentiality and are obliged to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure security of data. This is documented in third party agreements. 

Some of the processing Optivet carries out may result in risks to privacy. Where processing would result in a high risk to individuals rights and freedoms, Optivet will carry out a data protection impact assessment to determine the necessity and proportionality of processing. This will include considering the purposes for which the activity is carried out, the risks for individuals and the measures that can be put in place to mitigate those risks. 

If Optivet discovers that there has been a data breach of personal data that poses a risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals, we shall report it to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) within 72 hours of discovery. Optivet will record all data breaches regardless of their effect. 

If the breach is likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals, we shall tell the affected individuals that there has been a breach and provide them with information about its likely consequences and the mitigation measures we have taken. 

 

Employee access and training 

Employees may have access to personal data of our customers and clients in the course of their employment/contract. Where this is the case, Optivet relies on employees to help meet its data protection obligations to all concerned. 

Employees that have access to client personal data are required: 

  • To access only data that they have authority to access and only for authorised purposes 
  • Not to disclose data except to individuals who have appropriate authorisation 
  • To keep data secure (for example by complying with rules on access to premises, computer access, including password protection and secure file storage and destruction) 
  • Not to remove personal data or devices containing or that can be used to access personal data, from the organisations premises without adopting appropriate security measures (such as encryption or password protection) to secure the data and device 
  • Not to store personal data on local drives or on personal devices that are used for work purposes; and 
  • To report data breaches of which they become aware to Human Resources immediately. 

Optivet will provide training to all employees about their data protection responsibilities as part of their induction process and at regular intervals thereafter. 

 

Marketing 

We would like to send you information about Optivet services that we think may be of interest to you. If you have given consent to receive this kind of correspondence, you may opt-out quickly and easily at any time. 

You have the right to stop us from contacting you for marketing purposes or from giving your information to other third parties. 

If you no longer wish to be contacted for marketing purposes, please contact advice@optivet.com

 

How to contact us 

Please contact us if you have any questions about our privacy policy or information we hold about you: advice@optivet.com

Or write to us at: c/o DPO, Optivet Referrals Ltd, 3 Downley Road, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 2NJ 

 

We keep our privacy policy under regular review and we will place any updates on this webpage. The privacy policy was last updated June 2024.