Privacy Policy.

Who We Are

Emerald Equine Vets is an independent, ambulatory equine veterinary practice based in South Yorkshire. We are the data controller for the personal information we collect and process.

Practice name: Emerald Equine Vets
Contact: emeraldequinevets@gmail.com | 07539 013314
Company / registration number: [COMPANY REGISTERED NUMBER — to be added by practice]

If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at the details above.

What Personal Data We Collect

We collect personal data you provide to us directly through our website forms, by phone, WhatsApp, or in person. This includes:

• Contact details: name, postal address, email address, telephone number
• Location information: yard address and postcode (for ambulatory visits)
• Horse information: horse name, breed, age, sex, microchip number, passport number, medical history
• Insurance details: insurer name, policy number, pre-authorisation numbers
• Payment information: billing records (we do not store card numbers)
• Clinical records: consultation notes, diagnoses, treatment records, X-rays and other diagnostic results
• Pre-purchase information: purchaser and seller details, vetting scope and findings

We do not collect any special category personal data about you (such as your health information). Horse health records relate to animals and are not subject to the same rules, but we treat them with the same care.

How We Use Your Data

Purpose	Legal basis
Providing veterinary services — consultations, treatment, diagnostics, pre-purchase examinations	Performance of a contract
Maintaining clinical records as required by the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct	Legal obligation
Processing payments and issuing invoices	Performance of a contract
Responding to your enquiries and booking requests	Legitimate interests
Sending appointment reminders or follow-up clinical communications	Legitimate interests
Complying with legal and regulatory requirements (HMRC, RCVS, insurance regulators)	Legal obligation
Insurance claim assistance — sharing records with your insurer at your request	Your consent / contract

Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell your personal data. We may share it only in the following circumstances:

• Your insurer: if you ask us to assist with an insurance claim, we will share relevant clinical records with your named insurer
• Referral vets and specialists: if we refer your horse to a specialist, we will share relevant clinical history to support continuity of care
• RCVS and regulators: if required by law or for regulatory inspection
• HMRC: financial records as required by law
• Netlify (website hosting): form submissions are transmitted through Netlify's infrastructure. Netlify is GDPR-compliant and does not retain form data beyond notification delivery

We will never share your data with third parties for marketing purposes.

How Long We Keep Your Data

Type of record	Retention period
Clinical and health records (horse and owner)	7 years from the date of last treatment, or as required by RCVS guidance
Financial records and invoices	6 years (HMRC requirement)
Pre-purchase examination records	7 years
General correspondence and enquiries	2 years from last contact

Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Right of access: you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification: you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure: in certain circumstances, you can ask us to delete your data (note: we may need to retain clinical and financial records for legal reasons)
• Right to restriction: you can ask us to restrict how we process your data while a dispute is resolved
• Right to data portability: you can ask for your data in a commonly used, machine-readable format
• Right to object: you can object to processing based on legitimate interests

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at emeraldequinevets@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.

Data Security

We take reasonable steps to keep your personal data secure. This website is served over HTTPS. Form submissions are transmitted securely to our email. We do not store form data on the website itself.

Access to clinical and financial records is restricted to practice staff and vets. Records are held securely and are not accessible to unauthorised persons.

Cookies

This website uses no tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or analytics cookies. The only data transferred through this site is what you choose to submit via our contact and registration forms.

We do not use Google Analytics or any third-party tracking scripts.

Third-Party Links

This website may contain links to third-party services (such as WhatsApp). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those services and recommend you review their privacy policies.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The current version is always available on this page. Material changes will be communicated to existing clients.

How to Make a Complaint

If you believe we have not handled your personal data correctly, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

• Website: ico.org.uk
• Helpline: 0303 123 1113

We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concern directly first — please contact us at emeraldequinevets@gmail.com before escalating to the ICO.