Our optometrists and their staff are members of your local healthcare team. We aim to provide you with the highest standard of eye care. To do this, we need to keep accurate records about you, your health and the care we have provided or plan to provide.
We understand that you value your privacy and the security of your personal information. We take our responsibility to protect your information seriously and handle it in accordance with applicable data protection legislation and our professional confidentiality obligations.
Information we record
Your patient record may include:
- Basic personal details, such as your name, address and date of birth.
- Information about medicines prescribed by your doctor or another qualified prescriber.
- Details and notes about your general health and medical treatment where relevant to your eye care.
- Relevant information provided by other healthcare professionals or people involved in your care.
- Clinical findings concerning the health of your eyes.
- Your spectacle and/or contact lens prescriptions.
- Copies of letters and other correspondence sent to or received from healthcare professionals, such as your GP or hospital.
We only use your information where there is a proper reason to do so, such as providing and supporting your care, managing our services or meeting our legal and professional obligations.
Sharing your information
We treat your patient information as confidential. We will not routinely share it with others unless:
- You ask us to do so.
- You give us permission to share it.
- We are required to share it by law.
- We are otherwise permitted to share it, for example where there is an overriding public interest or another lawful justification.
Where appropriate, information may be shared with your GP, hospital or other healthcare professionals involved in your care. Anyone who receives confidential patient information is expected to handle it appropriately and maintain confidentiality, subject to recognised legal exceptions.
Confidentiality and your rights
All members of our team are required to respect patient confidentiality. Our staff contracts include obligations to keep patient information confidential, and access to records is limited to those who need the information for their work.
You have rights under UK data protection legislation, including the right to request access to your personal information and to ask us to correct information that is inaccurate.
Access to your health record
You are entitled to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
Requests should be made in writing to:
Enhanced Optometry Services Ltd
15 Market Hill
Coggeshall
Essex
CO6 1TS
Please provide sufficient information for us to identify your record, such as your full name, address and date of birth. We may also ask for proof of identity where necessary to protect your information.
We will normally respond within one month of receiving your request and any information needed to verify your identity. There is generally no charge for providing a copy, although the law allows a reasonable fee in certain circumstances, such as manifestly unfounded or excessive requests.
If you believe that information we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete, please contact us so that we can consider your request to correct it.
For more information about how we use your personal information and the rights available to you, please read our Privacy Notice.
This information is available in large print on request.