Privacy | Surrey Therapy Solut

Privacy policy

Introduction

Respecting your privacy is of central importance to me. I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), and this privacy policy outlines how your personal information is collected, used, and protected at Surrey Therapy Solutions.

Information I May Collect About You

The personal data I may collect and hold includes:

Full name
Date of birth
Contact details (address, email, telephone number)
GP details
Healthcare insurer and membership number (if relevant)
Emergency contact details
Information and correspondence from other healthcare professionals
Brief, anonymised notes of our sessions
Completed psychometric or outcome measures

How I Collect This Information

This information is usually provided directly by you, but I may also receive details from:

Other healthcare professionals (e.g. your GP or psychiatrist)
Your health insurer
Your family, friends, or partner (only with your consent)

I will never disclose your information without your consent, unless there is a significant risk of serious harm to you or someone else.

Why I Collect Your Information

Your personal information is used to:

Provide psychological therapy as agreed
Arrange appointments and communicate outside of sessions
Inform treatment based on your background and our therapy sessions
Contact relevant people in an emergency (e.g. your GP or emergency contact)
Manage administrative processes including insurance and invoicing

Lawful Bases for Processing

Under data protection law (UK GDPR), I rely on the following legal bases to process your data:

Processing is necessary to deliver therapy services to you
You have provided explicit consent (e.g. to share with your insurer)
I may be legally obliged to share information in rare circumstances (e.g. court order)

Your Rights Under GDPR

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Access – Request access to the data I hold about you
Correction – Ask me to correct or complete any inaccurate or incomplete information
Erasure – Request deletion of your data in certain circumstances
Restriction or Objection – Ask me to limit or stop processing your data
Withdraw Consent – You may withdraw your consent at any time

To exercise these rights, please contact me directly. I will respond within one month.

Reporting Concerns

If you have concerns about how your data has been handled, please contact me in the first instance.
You can also contact the Information Commissioner’s Office:
Phone: 0303 123 1113
Email: casework@ico.org.uk

Sharing Your Information

All information discussed in therapy is confidential. I will only share your information with your consent, except in exceptional circumstances where there is a risk of serious harm. I will always aim to discuss any such disclosure with you in advance.

I may also seek your consent to share relevant information with other professionals involved in your care.

If your therapy is funded by a third party (such as an insurance company), I may be required to share limited details (e.g. name, address, treatment overview) for invoicing. They may also request a report; I will always share this with you before sending it.

As part of professional supervision (which supports best practice and your care), I may discuss anonymised elements of our work with another qualified clinical psychologist. No identifiable information will be shared.

Data Storage and Security

I only hold the minimum amount of personal information necessary. All client records are stored electronically via Microsoft 365 using encrypted, secure systems.

I retain records for 7 years after the end of therapy, after which they will be securely destroyed. I review storage regularly to ensure no unnecessary data is retained.

Email Communication

I may contact you via the email address you used to book your initial appointment. By working with me, you agree to receive necessary information by email. Please note that while Microsoft 365 is secure, email is not a fully confidential medium for health-related communication.