Our Privacy Policy - Your Data | Larkmead Veterinary Group

Privacy Policy – Larkmead Vets

Your data, our promise.

Larkmead Vets is an independently owned veterinary practice that provides animal healthcare services to pet owners and agricultural businesses. Larkmead Vets is the data controller (DC), and will collate the following personal data:

Title
First and last names
Address
Contact telephone numbers
Email address

We require this personal data in order to create a ‘client’ record. This information is collected either via our website or by our receptionist team when an individual first makes contact with the practice. The data is entered onto our practice management system (PMS). This software and associated data is stored securely on IT hardware owned by the DC. Any animals that Larkmead Vets provide treatment for, by law, need to have a clinical record. These clinical records are a sub-record of the client’s and are searchable on our PMS. Clinical data and the associated personal data must be stored for a minimum of 7 years.

We can only provide a professional service to those who provide us with the aforementioned personal data. We need this information in order to provide comprehensive veterinary care, and without the information volunteered at the outset we could only provide basic first aid to any sick or injured animals.

We will use personal data for the following purposes:

Registration as a client of Larkmead Vets, including generation of animal clinical records
Maintenance and collection of clinical records from previously used veterinary practices
Dispensing pharmaceutical prescriptions – all labels will include client name and address as specified by law. This will, upon request of the client, be shared with third party pharmacies (and may include email and phone numbers if required) in order to provide a written prescription for medication.
Invoicing for goods and services, as per our terms and conditions
Subscription to our bespoke member schemes and clubs which may include a direct debit mandate that entitles the client to specific services and stock items
Appointment reminders

We can use personal data for the following purposes if a client has opted-in to provide consent:

Annual health and vaccination reminders, which are sent in advance and then after the due date to prompt clients whom have not managed to complete their animal’s health check.
Animal treatment reminders which are sent at the time an animal is due a dose of a medication it has been prescribed, most commonly this will include preventative flea treatments.
Newsletters will be sent on a recurring basis and highlight developments of the practice and the services we offer, but will be appropriate to the client type, e.g. pet or farm animal owner.
Promotional material will be sent infrequently and will be targeted to ensure it is relevant to the client and their animal.

Our communication with clients will be via SMS, WhatsApp, email and post. The client can control their preferred methods of contact in the practice verbally with a reception team member.

We will only provide your personal information to other data controllers that are contracted to comply with the latest data protection regulations. This transfer of information will only be carried out in order to provide veterinary care and communication relating to your animal, this may include:

External laboratories for blood and biopsy tests
Other vets if you are using a different veterinary practice
Third party pharmacies
Referral vets if you are taking your animal to a specialist centre
Microchip database for registration
Government agencies for pet travel and export
Pet Proactive insurance company upon request for a pet insurance quotes

We will not pass personal information to any agencies or organisations for use other than what we have stipulated prior to carrying out the activity that is associated with your animal’s care. You will only receive marketing related communication from us if you have opted to receive this information. You may opt out at any time using the links provided.

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to be able to provide you with veterinary care and to be able to forward the clinical records to other veterinary practices upon legitimate request.

When we have no ongoing legitimate business need to process your personal data, and where there is no legal necessity nor impact on animal welfare, upon request we will erase your personal data from our PMS.

Telephone calls to and from Larkmead Veterinary Group may be recorded for training, monitoring and business transaction purposes. Our Team have the ability to turn this recording off so please advise if you do not wish for your call to be recorded. Recordings are stored for two years and then automatically deleted. No data from call monitoring will be shared outside of Larkmead Veterinary Group unless in relation to an event where a crime may have been committed.

Closed Circuit Television

Some Larkmead premises have CCTV – this is identified with external signage. The real time video footage will purely be accessible by secure devices within the business premises, or by business owners, in an event that personal safety is under threat.

Data will only be retrieved from the CCTV system if a criminal act has been suspected to have taken place on/around the Larkmead Vets building, and only passed onto the Police.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have rights including:

Your right of access – You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.
Your right to rectification – You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.
Your right to erasure – You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
Your right to restriction of processing – You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
Your right to object to processing – You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
Your right to data portability – You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. Please contact us at info@larkmead.co.uk or 01235 814491/01491 651379 or via post if you wish to make a request.

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us at Larkmead Veterinary Group, Ilges Lane, Cholsey, OX10 9PA. We take all complaints seriously.

You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.

The ICO’s address:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk