Privacy policy

Connecting Care

Connecting Care is a digital care record system for sharing information in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. It allows instant, secure access to your health and social care records for the professionals involved in your care.

Relevant information from your digital records is shared with people who look after you. This gives them up-to-date information making your care safer and more efficient.

Mendip Vale Medical Group uses the system in the following way:

• We can access your data stored within the system

If you would like to learn more about Connecting Care and how your information is being used please visit Transparency Notice (connectingcarebnssg.co.uk) on the Connecting Care website

Data Protection Officer (DPO)

Contact details: Please email bnssg.mendipvale.scanners@nhs.net to the attention of David Clark, DPO. 

Direct Care is care delivered to the individual alone, most of which is provided in the surgery. After a patient agrees to a referral for direct care elsewhere, such as a referral to a specialist in a hospital, necessary and relevant information about the patient, their circumstances and their problem will need to be shared with the other healthcare workers, such as specialist, therapists, technicians etc. The information that is shared is to enable the other healthcare workers to provide the most appropriate advice, investigations, treatments, therapies and or care.

This website uses cookies

A cookie is a small file, typically of letters and numbers, downloaded on to a device (like your computer or smart phone) when you access certain websites.

Cookies allow a website to recognise a user’s device.

Some cookies help websites to remember choices you make (e.g. which language you prefer if you use the Google Translate feature). Analytical cookies are to help us measure the number of visitors to a website. The two types we use are ‘Session’ and ‘Persistent’ cookies. Some cookies are temporary and disappear when you close your web browser, others may remain on your computer for a set period of time.

Read our cookie policy

Photo and Video Disclaimer for Marketing and Communications

Mendip Vale Medical Group reserves the right to use any photograph/video taken on the surgery grounds as well as at any sponsored event on or off campus, without the expressed written permission of those included within the photograph/video. Mendip Vale Medical Group may use the photograph/video in any publications or other marketing material produced, used or contracted by Mendip Vale Medical Group, including but not limited to: brochures books, newsletters, social media, websites, television etc. To ensure the privacy of individuals and minors, images will not be identified using full names or personal information without written approval from the photographed subject, parent or legal guardian.

Any individual who does not wish to have their image recorded for distribution should make their wishes known to the photographer/videographer and contact the Business Support Team at bnssg.mendipvale.scanners@nhs.net in writing of said intentions. Please also include a photograph of the pertaining individual, of which Mendip Vale Medical Group will only use for identification purposes and will hold in confidence. By failing to notify Mendip Vale Medical Group, in writing, of your desire to not have your photograph used, you are agreeing to release, defend, hold harmless and indemnify the Mendip Vale Medical Group from any and all claims involving the use of your picture or likeness.

Any individuals not affiliated with the Mendip Vale Medical Group may not use, copy, alter or modify photographs, graphics, videography, etc., without the written permission of an authorized Mendip Vale Medical Group employee.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

Site search

Please DO NOT add any personally identifiable information – such as your name, NHS number, address or any other distinguishing detail – when using the site search function. The site search is intended to return information displayed on the website ONLY, and is not linked to our practice management system or your individual NHS records. Site search data is recorded in our analytics and cannot be deleted.

Hippo Labs Privacy Policy

As part of our practice’s efforts to care for our patients proactively, we are now using the Hippo Recaller digital tool (from Hippo Labs) to help us do this effectively. The aim of Hippo Labs' platform is to identify patients and automate the messaging relating to proactive patient care needs, resulting in better outcomes for patients and the practice. The platform facilitates secure, digital communications between healthcare practices and patients.

Using the Hippo Labs platform will involve the processing of special category data by Hippo Labs, its sub-processors, and the GP Practice as a data controller. This includes the exchange and storage of messages between patients, Hippo Labs and practice staff. The platform allows patients to respond to the practice in various ways, including via questionnaires.

Hippo Labs adheres to NHS England best practice and is approved for use by GP practices and other systems involved in patient care. There are rigorous assurance processes in place to ensure the highest standards of safety and security. Your data is safe and is shared only with your GP practice for the purposes of your direct care. Your data is securely stored and transmitted using industry best practices, and Hippo Labs only collects the data necessary to allow your GP practice to provide this care.

The practice uses the following Hippo Labs features:

• Patient identification
• SMS messaging
• WhatsApp messaging
• NHS App messaging
• Email messaging

Hippo Labs’ privacy notice can be found on their website here: Hippo Labs | Privacy Policy.

Controller Contact Details

Mendip Vale Medical Group 

Langford Surgery,

Pudding Pie Lane 

Bristol 

BS40 5EL 

Data Protection Contact Details

Hippo Labs Data Protection Contact: dataprotection@hippolabs.co.uk

Purpose of the Processing

The purpose of the Hippo Labs platform is to analyse and automate patients proactive care needs and facilitate successful communication between the practice and patients, improving healthcare outcomes and operational efficiency. The platform enables secure, digital communication between healthcare practices and patients.

Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR and DPA 2018:

• 6(1)(e): ‘...necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority...’.
• 9(2)(h): ‘...medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems...’.

Recipient or Categories of Recipients of the Shared Data

Data may be shared with Hippo Labs and its sub-processors, which may include cloud service providers used for Hippo Labs’ own storage, communications, security, engineering, and other related services.

Rights to Object

You have the right under Article 21 of the UK GDPR to object to the processing of your personal data. To raise an objection, please contact your GP Practice. Please note, this right to object does not guarantee that your request will be granted in all circumstances, as certain legal or medical reasons may apply.

Right to Access and Correct

You have the right to access copies of your data and to correct any inaccuracies. Please note that medical records cannot be deleted unless ordered by a court of law.

Retention Period

Your data will be retained for active use during processing and then stored according to NHS policies and applicable laws.

Right to Complain

If you have concerns about how your data is handled or processed, please contact us using the details above laid out above. f you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to raise your complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).