Privacy Policy
The Skin Blemish Nurse
Nurse-Led Skin Blemish Removal | Leigh, Kent
1. Introduction
At The Skin Blemish Nurse, your privacy and confidentiality are extremely important.
I am committed to protecting your personal information and ensuring that it is handled securely, responsibly and in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018.
This Privacy Policy explains how your personal information is collected, used, stored and protected when you visit my website, make an enquiry, book an appointment or receive treatment.
2. Who Is Responsible for Your Information?
The Skin Blemish Nurse is an independent, nurse-led skin blemish removal clinic based in Leigh, Kent.
Data Controller: Sarah Butler, trading as The Skin Blemish Nurse.
Email: sarahbutlerclinic@hotmail.com
Telephone / WhatsApp: 07533 985272
For any questions regarding your personal information, please contact me using the details above.
3. What Information Do I Collect?
To provide safe, appropriate and professional treatments, I may collect the following information:
Full name and contact details.
Date of birth.
Relevant medical history and health conditions.
Current medication and allergies.
Previous skin treatments.
Consultation and consent forms.
Treatment records and aftercare information.
Before-and-after clinical photographs.
Appointment and payment records.
Correspondence by email, telephone or WhatsApp.
Only information reasonably necessary for providing treatment, managing appointments and meeting professional or legal obligations will be collected.
4. How Your Information Is Used
Your personal information may be used to:
Respond to enquiries and arrange appointments.
Assess suitability for treatment.
Provide safe and appropriate clinical care.
Maintain accurate consultation and treatment records.
Communicate important appointment information.
Provide aftercare advice and arrange follow-up appointments.
Meet professional, legal and insurance obligations.
Manage payments and business records.
Respond to concerns or complaints.
Your personal information will not be sold to third parties.
5. Clinical Photography
Before-and-after treatment photographs are required as part of my professional indemnity insurance conditions.
These photographs are used to document the appearance of skin blemishes, monitor healing, assess treatment outcomes and maintain accurate clinical records.
Photographs may also be used as supporting evidence where necessary for professional insurance purposes.
All clinical photographs are treated as confidential information and stored securely.
Clinical photographs will never be used for social media, advertising, website content or other promotional purposes without your separate, explicit consent.
Consent for marketing photography is entirely optional and will not affect the care you receive.
6. Legal Basis for Processing Information
Personal information is processed only where there is an appropriate lawful basis under UK GDPR.
Depending on the purpose, this may include:
Contractual necessity: To arrange appointments and provide agreed services.
Legal obligations: To comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
Legitimate interests: To manage the clinic, maintain appropriate business records and respond to enquiries, where those interests do not override your rights.
Consent: Where required, including optional use of photographs for marketing.
Medical histories, clinical photographs and treatment information may constitute special category health data and receive additional legal protection.
Where applicable, this information is processed under the relevant UK GDPR health or social care condition, subject to professional confidentiality requirements, or another appropriate special category condition.
The specific lawful bases and conditions used will be documented and reviewed as necessary.
7. How Your Information Is Stored
At The Skin Blemish Nurse, protecting your personal and medical information is a priority.
Paper Records
Paper consultation forms, consent forms, medical histories and treatment records are stored securely in a locked cabinet within the clinic.
Access to these records is restricted to authorised individuals.
Digital Clinical Photographs
Before-and-after treatment photographs are stored electronically as part of your confidential clinical records.
Digital photographs are stored using secure, password-protected systems with appropriate access controls.
Reasonable security measures are maintained to protect clinical photographs against unauthorised access, loss or disclosure.
Clinical photographs will not be shared or used for marketing purposes without separate, explicit consent.
8. How Long Information Is Kept
At The Skin Blemish Nurse, adult clinical records, including consultation forms, medical histories, consent documentation, treatment records and before-and-after clinical photographs, are retained for eight years following the client's last treatment.
Records may be retained for longer where required for legal, professional, clinical or insurance purposes.
Different retention periods may apply to records relating to children and young people.
Paper records are stored securely in a locked cabinet, while clinical photographs are held in secure digital storage.
At the end of the applicable retention period, records are reviewed and securely destroyed or deleted when no longer required.
9. Sharing Your Information
Your information is treated confidentially and will only be shared where necessary and lawful.
This may include:
Your GP or another healthcare professional where clinically appropriate and legally permitted.
Professional indemnity insurers where required.
Regulators or legal authorities where disclosure is required by law.
Booking, payment, email or secure record-management providers acting on behalf of the clinic.
Any third-party service providers handling personal information must provide appropriate data protection safeguards.
10. Email, WhatsApp & Online Enquiries
You may contact The Skin Blemish Nurse by email, telephone or WhatsApp.
Information provided through these channels will be used to respond to your enquiry and manage your appointment.
Please avoid sending sensitive medical information or intimate clinical photographs through general messaging services unless an appropriate secure method has been agreed.
Where an online booking system is introduced, its relevant data handling arrangements will be reflected in this Privacy Policy.
11. Your Data Protection Rights
Under UK data protection legislation, you may have the right to:
Request access to personal information held about you.
Request correction of inaccurate information.
Request deletion of information in certain circumstances.
Request restriction of processing.
Object to certain uses of your information.
Request transfer of information where applicable.
Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.
Some rights are subject to legal exceptions, including requirements to retain clinical records.
To make a request, please contact The Skin Blemish Nurse using the contact details provided.
12. Website Privacy & Cookies
The Skin Blemish Nurse website is hosted using Google Sites.
Technical information may be processed when you visit the website.
Where cookies or similar technologies are used, applicable privacy and cookie requirements will be followed, including obtaining consent where required.
Any additional analytics, advertising or booking services will be reviewed and this notice updated as appropriate.
13. International Data Transfers
Some technology or communication providers may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.
Where international transfers occur, appropriate safeguards will be used as required by applicable data protection legislation.
14. Complaints & Concerns
If you have any concerns about how your personal information is handled, please contact me in the first instance.
You also have the right to raise a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data protection regulator.
Website: www.ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
15. Changes to This Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy may be updated to reflect changes in legislation, professional requirements or clinic services.
The most recent version will be available on The Skin Blemish Nurse website.
The Skin Blemish Nurse
Nurse-Led Skin Blemish Removal
Leigh, Kent
Telephone / WhatsApp: 07533 985272
Email: sarahbutlerclinic@hotmail.com
Professional Care. Personal Approach.