Privacy and Cookie Policy

Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 2026

Serene AcuHealing is committed to respecting your privacy and protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how personal data is collected, used, stored and protected when you visit our website, contact us, book an appointment or receive treatment.

We handle personal information in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Serene AcuHealing
50 Hill Rise
Richmond
TW10 6UB
United Kingdom

Email: sereneacuhealing@yahoo.com
Website: https://sereneacuhealing.co.uk/

For questions about this policy or how your personal information is handled, please contact us using the email address above.

2. What Personal Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

• Your name and contact details, including email address, telephone number and address where required.
• Your date of birth, where relevant to your care.
• Appointment and booking information.
• Medical history, symptoms, medications, allergies and other relevant health information needed to assess your suitability for acupuncture and provide appropriate care.
• Treatment notes and relevant information about your response to treatment.
• Information you provide through enquiries, contact forms, email or other communications.
• Website usage information, such as IP address, device information and cookie data, where applicable.

Health information is particularly sensitive. We collect and use it only where necessary for appropriate healthcare-related purposes and in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.

Please avoid sending detailed medical information through general website forms or social media messages unless specifically requested.

3. How We Collect Your Information

We may collect personal information when you:

• Contact us through our website, email, telephone or social media.
• Make or manage an appointment through our booking system.
• Complete a consultation or health questionnaire.
• Attend an appointment and receive treatment.
• Subscribe to receive updates or marketing communications.
• Visit our website, where cookies or similar technologies collect information.

We may also receive relevant information from someone acting on your behalf, where appropriate and lawful.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use personal information where necessary to:

• Respond to enquiries and requests for information.
• Manage appointments and communicate booking-related information.
• Assess your health needs and suitability for acupuncture.
• Provide treatment and maintain appropriate clinical records.
• Arrange payments and provide receipts or invoices.
• Meet applicable legal, professional, insurance and record-keeping obligations.
• Maintain website security and understand how our website is used.
• Send marketing communications where we have an appropriate lawful basis and, where required, your consent.

We do not sell your personal information.

5. Our Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for using personal information.

Depending on the circumstances, these may include:

• Contract: to manage bookings and provide services you request.
• Legal obligation: to meet applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
• Legitimate interests: to manage and improve our business, respond to enquiries and maintain website security, where these interests are not overridden by your rights.
• Consent: where required, including certain marketing communications and non-essential cookies.

Health information requires an additional condition for processing under data protection law. Where applicable, we rely on the relevant provisions for healthcare-related purposes, subject to the requirements of UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We will not rely on consent where another lawful basis is more appropriate.

6. How We Store and Protect Your Information

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

These measures may include secure systems, password protection, restricted access and appropriate safeguards when using service providers.

Access to health and treatment information is limited to authorised persons who need it for legitimate purposes.

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, taking account of clinical record-keeping requirements, applicable legal obligations, insurance requirements and the need to establish or defend legal claims.

Different types of records may need to be retained for different periods.

7. Sharing Your Information

We may share relevant information with trusted service providers where necessary to operate our practice. These may include:

• Our website hosting and website-form providers.
• Our online appointment booking provider.
• Payment and invoicing providers.
• Email and communications providers.
• Website analytics or cookie service providers, where used.

We may also disclose information where required by law or where disclosure is otherwise lawful and necessary.

We do not sell personal information or share it with third parties for their independent marketing purposes.

Where service providers process personal data on our behalf, appropriate safeguards should be in place. Depending on the service and the data involved, information may be processed or stored outside the UK, subject to applicable data protection requirements.

8. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, you may have the right to:

• Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request erasure of personal information where the legal requirements are met.
• Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
• Object to certain types of processing.
• Request a copy of certain information in a portable format.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

These rights are not absolute in every situation. For example, we may need to retain certain clinical records to meet legal or professional obligations.

To exercise your rights, contact sereneacuhealing@yahoo.com.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator, if you have concerns about how your information is handled.

9. Marketing Communications

If you subscribe to receive updates, offers or other marketing communications, we will use your contact details for that purpose in accordance with applicable privacy and electronic marketing laws.

You can unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time using the unsubscribe option provided or by contacting us.

Appointment confirmations and essential service-related messages are separate from marketing communications.

10. Cookies and Website Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to support essential website functions, remember preferences, understand website usage and, where applicable, support third-party features.

Some cookies are necessary for the website to operate. Other cookies, such as certain analytics or advertising cookies, may require your consent before they are used.

For further information, please see our Cookie Policy below.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practice, website, technology or legal obligations.

The latest version will be published on this page, with the date of the most recent update.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact:

Serene AcuHealing
50 Hill Rise
Richmond
TW10 6UB
United Kingdom

Email: sereneacuhealing@yahoo.com