Privacy Policy

The Suffolk Oxygen Therapy Centre (SOTC), also trading as Suffolk Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre (SMSTC), is a self-funded charity helping people with Multiple Sclerosis, as well as a number of other conditions. We respect your privacy and realise how important it is that your personal information remains secure. We comply with the General Data Protection Regulation 2018.

This notice explains how we collect, manage and protect your details, but if you would like more information, please contact us:

Centre Manager, Unit 27 Claydon Business Park, Gipping Road, Great Blakenham, Suffolk, IP6 0NL
info@suffolkoxygentherapy.co.uk
Tel: 01473 830359

What information do we collect about you and how is it used?

Our collection and processing of your data is based around consent.

When you make an enquiry about becoming a member of our centre, a member of our team will, with your consent, take basic information from you including your name, place of residence, telephone number(s), and condition for which you are seeking treatment. This information will then be made available to our Admissions Officer and our Manager only.

This information is kept for a period of one month before being destroyed unless you become a member of our charity, in which case the information will be stored in your personal file.

When our Admissions Officer contacts you, further information regarding your personal circumstances will be taken, with your consent, and you will be asked to join our charity. If you are a member of the charity, to ensure we provide the right support, therapy and information, we may collect sensitive and personal information about your health condition, including any drugs or treatments you are currently undertaking, your next of kin, emergency contact and details of other health professionals involved in your care. We collect this information with your consent and use this information to gain a full understanding of your situation, so we can provide you with the best possible support.

It is possible that we may use your data to seek advice on an appropriate course of treatment. This will be done anonymously and identifying data will not be passed on to any third party.

We collect your information to process your requests and to keep you informed about the work of the SOTC. We may record any contact we have with you and provide you with information that is relevant to you

If you are in agreement, we may also hold a Gift Aid declaration form and your bank details. We use the information to process donations or other payments; to verify financial transactions and to claim Gift Aid on your donation.

Anyone over the age of 16 may give their consent to data processing. For us to process the data of anyone under the age of 16, we require permission from someone with parental authority.

If you are a member of staff or volunteer, we will request additional information such as next of kin, emergency contact and information relevant to your employment or volunteering. This information may be needed if you are ill or have an accident at work and we need to contact a family member or friend to inform them.

If you are a therapist providing services to our members we will also hold details such as your professional registration and public liability insurance. This is to ensure you meet the needs of the contractual arrangement we have with you.

How do we collect this information?

Direct

Personal information is collected directly from you when you interact with SOTC, for example by registering as a member, by signing up to participate in an event, by donating, volunteering, or by joining us as a member of staff.

Indirect

We may also obtain personal information about you from a carer, family member or friend acting on your behalf

Third-Party

Your information may be shared with us by individual event organisers or fundraising sites, but only if you are supporting the SOTC and have given this organisation your permission e.g. an online payment or fundraising site like Just Giving.

What contact will we make with you?

If you consent to us doing so on your annual membership form, as a member or primary carer we will provide you with up-to-date information about our services, support and information to keep you informed of changes at the centre or events that we might be planning or general news and information that we feel is relevant and potentially interesting/useful to you. This might be through email (if supplied), post, telephone, SMS, or social media.

If you give your consent to share your experience of the SOTC, this may be made public by us at events, in materials promoting our charity and fundraising work; or in documents such as our annual review. This may include photographs or film, but only where you have consented for us to use images as well.

Will we ever sell or swap your information to other organisations?

We will never sell or swap your personal details with other organisations. We may be required to disclose personal information if required to do so by law, for example for fraud prevention, or to another health professional who is involved in your treatment or care. This would be with your consent and knowledge only.

How secure is the information you give us?

The SOTC takes the care of your personal information seriously and we maintain appropriate administrative safeguards to protect personal data. Sensitive and health-related information about our registered users is kept secure.

On the SOTC’s Social Media platforms, we do not display full names and addresses without your prior consent. However, please be aware that when posting information on social media sites your information is publicly accessible and therefore you should avoid sharing personal information that may be used to identify you.

How long will we keep your information and how do you stop us from contacting you?

We will retain your information while you have an active membership/relationship with the SOTC. If you request no contact from us, we will comply. Irrespective of this, regular contact will end at the lapse of your 12-month membership.

Our retention policy is to hold your information for a period of 7 years after the expiry of your SOTC membership/relationship. This information will be kept securely in an archived file. After 7 years, data will be destroyed.

Accessing and Updating Your Personal Information

If you wish to access and/or modify the information we hold about you, please contact us at the address above. If your personal circumstances change, please advise us so we can update your details. If you are unhappy with the way we have processed your data, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK’s independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals.

Policy updated April 2018