Data Protection

Important Notice

Following an eye examination (or on completion of a contact lens fitting) patients will be given a copy of their prescription (specification). Copies of both the above documents can be issued for a small charge but for the safeguard of our patients the following should be noted:

• The document will need to be signed by the prescribing optician. He or she may be available on the same day, but the signature may be delayed until the optician is next in the practice.
• Details will not be given out over the phone, this is for both security and the elimination of transcription errors.
• Under no circumstances will patient details be given out to a 3rd party unless under strict written authorization of the patient concerned.

Our general data protection policy is set out below

All personal data will be relevant and lawfully collected

Data shall only be held and used for lawful purposes

Data held on a specific patient will not be disclosed unless under written permission from the said patient

Every effort will be made to ensure data is accurate and up to date

An individual shall be entitled:

• at reasonable intervals and without undue delay or expense
• to be informed by any Data User whether he holds personal data of which that individual is the subject
• to have access to any such data held by a Data user; and where appropriate, to have such data corrected or erased.

REQUEST FOR ACCESS TO DATA

For a duplicate copy of a prescription only a fee of £7 is payable in advance.

A request for access to personal data must be made in writing subject to any applicable exemption. A copy of information held both on manual record and computer will be provided for a fee of £25 payable in advance.