Privacy Policy – Our Commitment To Your Privacy

This site is owned and operated by Gloucestershire Local Optical Committee. This privacy policy tells you about the different types of personal information that we collect and the ways in which we use it.

Who are we?

Gloucestershire Local Optical Committee (LOC) are a Local Optical Committee as recognised by NHS England under the National Health Service Act 2006 section 125(1). We have a statutory duty to represent all contractors and performers on the ophthalmic list in Gloucestershire and to respond to requests from NHS England, CCGs and other relevant commissioning bodies.

Gloucestershire LOC is registered as a Data Controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office. Registration Number ZA453152.

When do we collect personal information about you?

We may collect and hold information about you:

• When you give it to us directly by communication by email or telephone.
• When you use the ‘Contact Us’ facility on our website.
• When you register for educational events managed by us.

What personal information do we use?

We may collect the following information about you: 

• Name
• Email address
• Place of Work
• GOC registration number

How we use your personal information

We may use your personal information:

• to provide you with information you have requested
• to provide guidance and advice on important issues relevant to contractors and performers on  Gloucestershire ophthalmic list.
• to invite you to events in which you may be interested.
• to answer your questions and communicate with you in general.
• to satisfy legal or regulatory obligations.

Lawful processing

We store and process your personal contact data on the lawful basis of legitimate interests. We have a statutory duty to represent all contractors and performers on the ophthalmic list in Gloucestershire and we consider that regular contact between the optical community and their representative body is beneficial to both parties.

Do we share your personal information?

Gloucestershire LOC will not share, sell, rent or lease your personal information to others. We reserve the right to disclose your information only: 

• if we are under any legal or regulatory obligation to do so; and
• in connection with any legal proceedings or prospective legal proceedings, in order to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights.

International data transfers

Sometimes we use third parties to process personal information and it is possible that it will be transferred to and stored in a location outside of the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area (EEA).

Countries to which we transfer information may have different standards for controlling how your information is used and protected and these standards may not be as strict as those in place in the United Kingdom and EEA. If we transfer your information to a country which does not have data protection laws which offer an adequate level of protection for your information, we will make sure that the organisation which receives your information applies appropriate safeguards to protect your information, such as standard contractual clauses as adopted by the European Commission from time to time, or otherwise ensure that we can transfer your information in a way that complies with data protection law.

Securing your personal information

We take all reasonable technical and organisational precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information. We restrict access to those who have a need to know and provide training to these individuals in handling the information securely.

How long do we keep your personal information?

We will retain your information while it is required for the purpose it was collected. Your information will be deleted within one month if

• You notify us that you are leaving the Gloucestershire ophthalmic list and no longer wish to have communication with us.
• We are no longer lawfully entitled to process your information; or
• You validly exercise your rights of erasure under GDPR

Your rights

Under the General Data Protection Regulations, you have rights as an individual which you can exercise in relation to the information we hold about you.

You can read more about your individual rights on the Information Commissioner’s Office website.

Gloucestershire LOC will be as open as it can be in terms of giving people access to their personal information. Individuals can find out if we hold any personal information by making a ‘right of access’ request under GDPR.

You may:

• Ask us for confirmation of what personal information we hold about you and to request a copy of that information.
• Request that we delete the personal information we hold about you as far as we are legally required to do so.
• Ask that we correct any personal information that we hold about you which you believe to be inaccurate.
• Object to the processing of your personal information where we process on the basis of legitimate interests
• Ask for processing of your personal information to be restricted if there is disagreement about its accuracy or legitimate usage.

Other websites

Gloucestershire LOC is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of linked websites. Please review the privacy notices of such websites.

Updating this privacy notice

Gloucestershire LOC may update this privacy notice by posting a new version on this website. If we update this privacy notice in a way that significantly changes how we use your personal information we will bring these changes to your attention.

How to contact us

Please contact us first if you have any questions or concerns about the way in which we process personal data. You can contact our Privacy Officer here

You have the right to complain to the ICO if you have a concern about our handling of your personal data which you think we cannot resolve. You can contact the ICO here