Privacy and Cookie Policy

Effective Date: 29/06/2025

At Southside Psychiatry Ltd (“we”, “us”, “our”), we are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with applicable data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal data when you use our services or visit our website.

1. Who We Are

Southside Psychiatry Ltd provides private psychiatric assessment and treatment services. We are the data controller responsible for your personal data.

Regulatory Registrations:

ICO Registration Number: ZB870608
Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) Registration Number: 02999

Contact Details:
Southside Psychiatry Ltd
Email: [info@southpsych.co.uk]
Website: [www.southpsych.co.uk]

2. What Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following information:

Personal Identification Data: Name, date of birth, gender, address, phone number, email address, NHS/CHI number.
Health and Medical Information: Details about your mental and physical health, treatment history, medications, and GP records.
Payment Information: Billing details, payment records (note: we do not store card details; payments are processed securely via third-party providers).
Website Usage Data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, cookies.
Communication Records: Emails, messages, and other correspondence with our team.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect data in the following ways:

When you complete forms on our website
During telephone, email, or video consultations
When you provide information via onboarding forms
From referrals by your GP or other healthcare professionals (with your consent)
Automatically through cookies and analytics tools

4. How We Use Your Data

We process your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide psychiatric assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care
To communicate with you regarding appointments and treatment
To liaise with your GP or other healthcare providers (with your consent)
To manage our clinical records and comply with legal obligations
To process invoices and payments
To improve our services and website
To respond to complaints, enquiries, or legal claims

Lawful Bases for Processing:

Provision of healthcare (Article 9(2)(h) UK GDPR)
Compliance with legal obligations
Legitimate interests (e.g., responding to enquiries)
Consent, where applicable (e.g., marketing communications)

5. How We Share Your Data

We only share your data when necessary and as permitted by law. This may include sharing with:

Your GP or referring clinician
Other healthcare professionals involved in your care
Our administrative and billing staff
IT providers and secure cloud storage services
Regulators (e.g., Healthcare Improvement Scotland) if legally required
Professional advisors (e.g., accountants, insurers, legal representatives)

We will never sell your personal data to third parties.

6. How We Store and Protect Your Data

We store your information securely in electronic clinical records and encrypted systems. We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including:

Encrypted storage and secure servers
Role-based access controls
Regular data protection training for staff
Policies for secure data retention and disposal

We retain records in line with relevant laws and guidance, including the Records Management Code of Practice for Health and Social Care.

7. Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have rights including:

The right to access your personal data
The right to rectification if your data is inaccurate or incomplete
The right to erasure (“the right to be forgotten”) in certain circumstances
The right to restrict processing in certain circumstances
The right to data portability
The right to object to processing
The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

You can learn more about your rights or make a complaint to the ICO at www.ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 11.

8. International Data Transfers

We do not routinely transfer your personal data outside the UK. If any international transfer is necessary (e.g., through secure cloud services), we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with data protection legislation.

9. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience, understand how visitors use our site, and support security and functionality.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help the site recognise your device and remember certain information about your visit.

Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies: Necessary for the website to function properly.
Analytics and Performance Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use the website. For example, we may use Google Analytics.
Functional Cookies: Enable enhanced functionality and personalisation.
Third-Party Cookies: Set by services integrated into our site (e.g., video hosting, social media buttons).

Your Choices

When you first visit our website, you will see a cookie banner explaining that we use cookies. You can:

Accept all cookies
Decline non-essential cookies
Adjust your preferences at any time

You can also control cookies through your browser settings. For more information, visit:

Google Analytics

We may use Google Analytics to collect aggregated data about website usage. Google Analytics cookies may transfer data to servers in the United States.

You can opt out by installing the browser add-on: Google Analytics Opt-out

10. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy and Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law or our practices. The most recent version will always be published on our website with the effective date.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this policy or your personal data, please contact:

Data Protection Officer
Southside Psychiatry Ltd

Email: [info@southpsych.co.uk]
ICO Registration Number: ZB870608
HIS Registration Number: 02999