Privacy Notice

Who I Am

I am a lactation consultant providing antenatal and postnatal infant feeding support.

I am the data controller for the personal information you provide.

If you have any questions about this notice or how your data is handled, you can contact me directly using the details on this website.

What Information I Collect

I may collect and store the following information where relevant to your care:

• Your name, contact details, and preferred method of communication

• Pregnancy, birth, and feeding history

• Relevant maternal and infant medical information

• Consultation notes and care plans

• Consent forms and correspondence

• Photographs or videos taken for clinical purposes (only with your explicit consent)

I only collect information that is necessary to provide safe, appropriate, and individualised lactation support.

How Your Information Is Collected

Your information may be collected:

• Through online forms and bookings on my website via Squarespace

• Google Forms, Google Docs & Acuity software (consent, Intake forms & booking system)

• Through email communication via Google Workspace

• During consultations (in person or online)

• Via handwritten notes taken during appointments

Both Squarespace and Google Workspace are trusted third parties and are used to collect, store and manage information securely. Neither party use the data collected for their own purposes. These providers act as data processors on my behalf and are only permitted to process your data according to my instructions and in line with data protection law.

How Your Information Is Used

Your information is used to:

• Provide lactation and infant feeding support

• Maintain accurate clinical records

• Communicate with you about appointments and follow-up care

• Support continuity and safety of care

Your data will never be used for marketing purposes without your explicit consent.

I process your personal information because it is necessary for the provision of healthcare and lactation support and this is processed under a duty of confidentuality.

Sharing Your Information

Your information will be kept confidential.

Information will only be shared with other healthcare professionals where necessary and with your prior consent, for example with:

• Your midwife

• Health visitor

• GP

• Paediatric services

The only exception to this is where I am legally required to share information, such as for safeguarding concerns.

Safeguarding

As part of providing healthcare services, I have a professional responsibility to protect the safety and welfare of my clients, babies and children.

Your personal and health information will normally only be shared where there is an appropriate reason for doing so and in accordance with applicable data protection legislation and my professional responsibilities.

There may be circumstances where it is necessary to share relevant personal or health information without your consent. This may include where:

• I have concerns about the safety or welfare of a baby or child;

• I have concerns that an adult may be experiencing, or be at risk of, abuse, neglect or serious harm;

• there is a serious risk of harm to you or another person;

• disclosure is necessary for safeguarding or public protection purposes; or

• I am otherwise required or permitted to disclose information by law.

Depending upon the circumstances, information may be shared with appropriate healthcare professionals, NHS services, GPs, health visitors, midwifery services, local authority safeguarding services, social care, emergency services, the police or another appropriate organisation.

Where information is shared, I will consider what information is necessary and proportionate for the purpose and will document the reason for the disclosure.

Wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so, I will discuss safeguarding concerns with you and inform you before information is shared. There may be circumstances where this is not appropriate, for example where doing so could place someone at greater risk or interfere with safeguarding action.

Data protection legislation does not prevent the sharing of relevant information where this is necessary to safeguard a child or another person at risk of harm.

How Your Information Is Stored

Your records are stored securely:

• Electronically via Squarespace and Google Workspace, and stored within Google Drive

• Patient Notes AI tool - used solely after appointments to assist conversion of dictations into notes - no client conversations are recorded.

• In secure handwritten notes (where applicable)

Appropriate technical and organisational measures are in place to protect your data from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse.

How Long Your Information Is Kept

In line with professional standards for health records, your records will be retained for 20 years after your last contact with the service.

After this period, records will be securely deleted or destroyed.

Your Rights Under GDPR

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access your personal data

• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information

• Request erasure of your data where appropriate

• Restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances

• Object to how your data is used

• Withdraw consent at any time (where processing is based on consent)

To exercise any of these rights, please contact me directly.

Making a Complaint

If you have concerns about how your information is handled, I encourage you to contact me first so I can try to resolve the issue.

Changes to This Privacy Notice

This Privacy Notice may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements or how services are provided.

The most current version will always be available on this website.