Privacy notice

Last updated: July 2026

Who we are

Michael Dental Care, Fiddlers Green Lane, Cheltenham GL51 0TD, is the data controller for the personal and clinical information described in this notice. If you have a question about how we handle your data, contact the practice on 01242 517373, marking your query for the attention of the practice's Data Protection Lead.

What information we collect

We collect two broad categories of information:

Website enquiries. If you use our contact form, we collect your name, email address, phone number and the content of your message, in order to reply to you.

Patient records. If you register as a patient, we hold clinical and administrative records including your contact and identification details, medical and dental history, treatment provided, radiographs, clinical photographs, correspondence with other healthcare professionals, and payment and appointment records. Health information is "special category data" under UK GDPR and is handled with additional safeguards.

Why we process it, and our lawful basis

Patient clinical records are processed under UK GDPR Article 6(1)(b) (performance of a contract for care) and Article 9(2)(h) (provision of health care), consistent with our professional duties as a General Dental Council registered practice. Website enquiry data is processed under Article 6(1)(f) (our legitimate interest in responding to prospective and existing patients) or, where you book an appointment, Article 6(1)(b).

Who we share it with

We share information only where necessary: with other healthcare professionals when we refer you for specialist treatment, with dental laboratories for the fabrication of crowns, dentures or appliances, with our professional indemnity insurer if a claim or complaint arises, with NHS bodies or the Care Quality Commission where required by law or regulation, and with our IT and website service providers acting as data processors on our behalf. We do not sell personal data, and we do not share special category health data for marketing purposes.

This website uses a small number of third-party services that process limited data on our behalf: Netlify (hosting and secure handling of contact form submissions), Google Maps (the location map on our Contact page) and Elfsight, which displays our genuine Google reviews on the Patient Reviews page by connecting to our Google Business Profile. None of these services are used for advertising or tracking, and no special category health data passes through them.

How long we keep it

In line with Faculty of General Dental Practice and CQC guidance, adult patient records are retained for at least 11 years after the last date of treatment (or, for a deceased patient, 11 years from the date of death). Records for children and young people are retained until their 25th birthday, or for 11 years from the last treatment if that is later. Website enquiry messages that do not lead to a patient relationship are retained for no longer than 12 months.

Cookies

This site uses only cookies that are essential to its operation — for example, to remember your cookie preference and to support the contact form and embedded map. We do not use advertising or behavioural tracking cookies. See the cookie banner on this site for more detail, or ask reception for our full cookie list.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to: access a copy of the personal data we hold about you; have inaccurate data corrected; request erasure, though this is limited for clinical records by our professional retention obligations; restrict or object to certain processing; and receive a copy of data you provided to us in a portable format. To exercise any of these rights, contact reception on 01242 517373. We will respond within one month.

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, you also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, ico.org.uk, telephone 0303 123 1113.

Changes to this notice

We may update this notice from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or in the law. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last revised.