Welcome to Barnham Optical Ltd, trading as Barnham Opticians

We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and other applicable privacy laws.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you use our website, contact us, or receive services from us.

2. Information We Hold

We can only collect and use personal information where we have a lawful basis to do so.

We may hold personal information about you including:

Full name
Date of birth
Address
Telephone number
Email address
NHS number
Hospital number
Details of your GP
Appointment information

This information allows us to:

Provide appointments and optical care
Maintain patient records
Contact you regarding your care
Send appointment reminders and recalls
Meet NHS and legal obligations

We rely on lawful bases including:

Contractual necessity
Legal obligation
Legitimate interests
Provision of healthcare under Article 9 UK GDPR

3. Patient Records and Health Information

As an opticians practice, we process special category health data including:

Clinical records created by optometrists and optical professionals
Eye examination results
Optical prescriptions
Contact lens records
OCT and visual field scans
Medical photographs of the eyes
Medical and optical histories
Treatment plans and consent records
Dispensing records
Appointment history
Notes regarding symptoms and care
Complaints and complaint investigations
Correspondence with healthcare professionals and institutions

We are committed to handling patient health information confidentially and in accordance with applicable NHS and healthcare confidentiality obligations.

4. Financial Information

We maintain records of payments and transactions for accounting, contractual, and NHS purposes.

Card payments are processed securely by third-party payment providers and we do not store full payment card details.

Where treatment is provided under NHS arrangements, we may complete statutory NHS forms to process payments and claims.

5. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

Provide optical care and treatment
Maintain patient records
Arrange and manage appointments
Contact you regarding your care
Comply with NHS and healthcare obligations
Meet legal and regulatory requirements
Improve our services
Maintain secure practice systems

6.

Website Analytics, Cookies and Third-Party Services

When you use our website, we may collect limited technical information including:

IP address
Browser type and version
Device information
Operating system
Website usage information

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to help improve website functionality, user experience, security, and performance.

We use Cookiebot to manage cookie consent preferences in accordance with UK GDPR and PECR regulations, and to help ensure that non-essential cookies are only used where consent has been provided.

Our website may use the following third-party services and technologies:

Google services, including Google reCAPTCHA and website analytics tools, to help protect forms from spam and understand general website usage.
LeadConnector / GenieAI embedded enquiry and contact form technology to process customer enquiries and manage communications.
Cloudflare security and performance services to help protect and optimise the website.

These services may process technical information such as browser details, IP address, device information, and website interaction data where applicable.

Users can manage their cookie preferences using the cookie consent controls available on the website at any time.

Please see our separate Cookie Policy for further information.

7. Sharing Your Information

We may share your information where necessary with:

Your GP or other healthcare professionals
Hospitals and community optical services
NHS services and NHS payment authorities
Optical laboratories
Contact lens suppliers
Secure IT and software providers
Secure backup providers
Regulatory or legal authorities where required
The Department for Work and Pensions where relevant to NHS exemptions

We only disclose information on a need-to-know basis and limit the information shared to the minimum necessary.

Where appropriate, information shared electronically will be transferred using secure systems or secure NHS-approved email services.

Barnham Opticians does not sell personal information to third parties.

All third-party providers are required to process your information securely and lawfully.

8. Keeping Your Information Safe

We store information securely using protected digital systems and, where necessary, secure physical records.

We take precautions to ensure the security of:

Practice premises
Filing systems
Computers and digital systems
Patient management software
Backup systems

Access to personal information is restricted to authorised staff and all staff understand their legal responsibility to maintain confidentiality.

We routinely back up practice information securely.

9. Data Retention

We retain patient records in accordance with NHS and healthcare record retention requirements.

Generally, records are retained for:

10 years after your last visit, or
Until the age of 25 for children,

whichever period is longer.

Records are securely deleted or destroyed when no longer required.

10. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

Access your personal information
Request correction of inaccurate information
Request deletion of information where applicable
Restrict or object to processing
Request transfer of your data to another provider
Withdraw consent where applicable

You may also request that we stop using your information for appointment reminders or marketing communications.

Requests should be made to:

[EMAIL ADDRESS]

We do not normally charge for access requests.

11. National Data Opt-Out

The practice supports the NHS National Data Opt-Out, which allows patients to opt out of their confidential patient information being used for research and planning purposes.

Further information is available from the NHS.

NHS National Data Opt-Out

12. Personal Data Breaches

In the event of a personal data breach likely to result in a risk to individuals’ rights and freedoms, we will:

Investigate and contain the breach promptly
Notify the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) within 72 hours where legally required
Notify affected individuals without undue delay where appropriate

13. International Data Transfers

Where third-party providers process data outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK GDPR requirements.

14. Complaints

If you have concerns regarding how we use your information, please contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue.

enquiries@barnhamopticians.co.uk

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Information Commissioner’s Office

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

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact:

Barnham Optical Ltd Trading as Barnham Opticians
64 Barnham Road, Barnham, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, PO22 0ES
enquiries@barnhamopticians.co.uk
01243554091

Last updated: May 2026

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