Your privacy matters to us.

HealthMatters Group Limited (“HealthMatters Group”, “we”, “us” or “our”) is committed to protecting your personal information and handling it responsibly, securely and transparently.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, who we may share it with, how long we keep it and the rights you have in relation to your information.

We process personal information in accordance with applicable UK data protection law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and, where relevant, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

If you have questions about this policy or how we use your information, please contact us:

help@healthmattersgroup.co.uk
020 7622 7727

HealthMatters Group Limited operates EmotionMatters and the other HealthMatters Group services and websites.

This Privacy Policy applies to:

• weightmatters.co.uk
• emotionmatters.co.uk
• nutritionalmatters.co.uk
• surgicalweightmatters.co.uk
• healthmattersgroup.co.uk
• healthmattershealth.co.uk

HealthMatters Group Limited – Company number: 05654323

Registered office:
c/o King Edward VII Medical Centre
54 Beaumont Street
London W1G 6DW

For the purposes of applicable data protection law, HealthMatters Group Limited is the controller of the personal information covered by this policy.

Our websites may contain links to websites operated by other organisations.

This Privacy Policy applies to HealthMatters Group websites and services. If you follow a link to another organisation’s website, its own privacy policy will apply to the information it collects.

We encourage you to review the privacy information provided by any third-party website you visit.

We may collect personal information when you:

We may also receive information through secure systems and third-party service providers that help us deliver services such as appointment booking, communications, billing, payments, video consultations and website functionality.

Where appropriate and lawful, we may also receive relevant information from another healthcare professional involved in your care.

The information we collect depends on your relationship with us and the services you use.

Information concerning a person’s health is classed as special-category personal data under UK data protection law and receives additional protection.

We only collect health information that is relevant to the purpose for which it is required.

We may use your personal information to:

• respond to enquiries;
• arrange discovery calls and appointments;
• understand which service or practitioner may be appropriate for you;
• provide therapy, psychiatry, dietetic, nutritional therapy, health coaching and other healthcare services;
• manage your appointments;
• communicate with you about your care or enquiry;
• maintain appropriate clinical and administrative records;
• process payments and manage billing;
• communicate with healthcare professionals involved in your care where appropriate;
• comply with legal, regulatory and professional obligations;
• maintain the security of our systems and prevent fraud;
• monitor and improve the quality of our services;
• understand and improve our websites;
• respond to complaints or concerns; and
• send marketing communications where we are lawfully permitted to do so.

We will not use your personal information for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected unless permitted or required by law.

UK data protection law requires us to have a lawful basis for processing personal information.

YDepending on the circumstances, we may rely on:

Contract

Where processing is necessary to provide a service you have requested or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract.

This may include arranging and delivering appointments and managing payments.

Legitimate Interests

Where processing is necessary for our legitimate business or operational interests and those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.

This may include responding to enquiries, maintaining security, managing our services and improving how we operate.

Legal Obligation

Where we need to process information to comply with a legal or regulatory requirement.

Consent

Where we have asked you to give us permission for a particular use of your information.

Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

Health information receives additional protection under UK data protection law.

Where we process special-category information, we must have both an appropriate lawful basis under Article 6 UK GDPR and a separate condition permitting us to process special-category data under Article 9.

Where applicable to the provision and management of healthcare, we may process health information under Article 9(2)(h) UK GDPR, relating to health or social care, together with applicable provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Other Article 9 conditions may apply where appropriate to a particular situation.

We maintain appropriate policies and safeguards for the processing of special-category information.

We want you to have control over the communications you receive from us.

Marketing With Your Consent

Where you choose to receive marketing communications from us, we may send you relevant wellbeing information, news and information about our services.

Where consent is required, we will ask you to make an active choice. Choosing not to receive marketing will not prevent you from making an enquiry or receiving services from us.

You can withdraw your consent or unsubscribe from marketing at any time by:

• selecting the unsubscribe link in a marketing email;
• following the opt-out instructions provided with the communication; or
• contacting help@healthmattersgroup.co.uk.

Health Information And Marketing

We recognise that information about someone’s physical or mental health is particularly sensitive.

We do not treat an enquiry about your health or wellbeing as permission to use health information for targeted marketing.

Where we intend to use special-category information, such as health information, for direct-marketing purposes, we will obtain the appropriate explicit consent where required.

The ICO advises organisations to obtain explicit consent if they want to use special-category information for direct marketing.

Your Right To Object

You have the right to object to direct marketing at any time.

We may retain limited information on a suppression list after you opt out so that we can respect your preference and avoid contacting you again for marketing purposes.

We do not sell your personal information.

We only share personal information where there is an appropriate reason to do so.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include sharing information with:

• the therapist, psychiatrist, dietitian, nutritional therapist, health coach or other practitioner providing your service;
• authorised members of our Client Services and administrative teams;
• other healthcare professionals involved in your care, where appropriate and lawful;
• service providers that support our CRM and enquiry management;
• appointment and booking platforms;
• secure communications providers;
• video-consultation providers;
• payment and billing providers;
• website hosting, security and technical providers;
• professional advisers, insurers or regulators where necessary; and
• public authorities where disclosure is required or permitted by law.

Our service providers are required to handle personal information appropriately and securely.

We do not share your personal information with unrelated third parties for their own marketing purposes.

There may be circumstances where it is helpful to communicate with another healthcare professional involved in your care, such as your GP.

Where appropriate, we will discuss this with you and obtain any permission required before sharing information.

There may be exceptional circumstances in which we are legally required, or otherwise permitted by law, to disclose information without your consent—for example, where there is a serious safeguarding concern or another legal obligation applies.

We may record certain telephone calls using a secure telephone system.

Where calls are recorded, this may be for purposes including:

• maintaining accuracy;
• quality monitoring and training;
• supporting appropriate enquiry follow-up;
• resolving complaints or disputes; and
• maintaining appropriate records where relevant.

We will provide appropriate information where a call is being recorded.

Recordings are stored securely and access is restricted to authorised personnel.

We may use email, SMS, telephone or WhatsApp to communicate with you about an enquiry, appointment or service where appropriate.

Messages relating to your care may contain or reveal health information and will be handled accordingly.

We take reasonable steps to use communication channels appropriately and securely, but you should be aware that ordinary electronic communications may carry inherent privacy and security risks.

If you have particular communication preferences, please tell our team.

Marketing communications through these channels are subject to the rules described in the Direct Marketing section above.

Our websites use cookies and similar technologies.

Depending on the choices you make, these technologies may help us:

• operate and secure our websites;
• remember your preferences;
• understand how our websites are used;
• improve website performance and functionality; and
• measure and improve our marketing.

Where consent is required for a technology, we will obtain the required consent before using it.

For more information, including the technologies currently in use and how to change your preferences, please see:

Cookie Policy

You can review your preferences at any time through:

We use systems and service providers selected with security and data protection in mind.

Some of our service providers may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we take steps to ensure an appropriate level of protection in accordance with applicable UK data protection law.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include reliance on UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual safeguards.

You can contact us if you would like further information about safeguards relevant to your personal information.

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

These measures include, where appropriate:

• access controls based on role and responsibility;
• secure systems and encrypted communications or storage;
• multi-factor authentication on relevant systems;
• staff training on confidentiality and data protection;
• controls over access to clinical information;
• secure backup and recovery procedures; and
• review of third-party providers handling personal information.

Access to personal and clinical information is limited to people who have an appropriate reason to access it.

We do not keep personal information for longer than necessary.

How long we retain information depends on why it was collected, the nature of the information and any legal, regulatory, professional, insurance or contractual requirements that apply.

Retention Schedule

Enquiry information
Retention: Up to 12 months from last contact, subject to the purpose for which the information is retained and our applicable retention policy.

Call recordings relating to enquiries
Retention: Up to 12 months from last contact, subject to the purpose for which the information is retained and our applicable retention policy.

Marketing records
Retention: For as long as required for the relevant marketing purpose or until consent is withdrawn/you object, subject to our retention policy.

Marketing suppression records
Retention: We may retain the minimum information necessary to record and respect your opt-out.

Clinical and healthcare records
Retention: Normally 7 years from the end of care, subject to applicable legal, regulatory, professional and insurance requirements and any circumstances requiring a different retention period.

Client administrative information
Retention: Normally retained in accordance with the relevant client/clinical record-retention period where it forms part of that record.

SMS and WhatsApp communications
Retention: Depends on the nature of the communication. Messages forming part of your healthcare record may be retained in accordance with the applicable clinical-record retention period.

Financial and accounting records
Retention: Retained in accordance with applicable tax, accounting and legal requirements.

At the end of the relevant retention period, information will be securely deleted, anonymised or otherwise disposed of in accordance with our retention procedures.

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

• ask for access to personal information we hold about you;
• ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• ask us to delete your personal information in certain circumstances;
• ask us to restrict the way we use your information;
• object to certain uses of your information;
• object to direct marketing at any time;
• receive certain personal information in a portable format;
• withdraw consent at any time where we rely on your consent; and
• raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office.

These rights are subject to certain conditions and legal exceptions. For example, we may need to retain some information where we have a legal, regulatory or professional obligation to do so.

To exercise your data-protection rights, contact:

help@healthmattersgroup.co.uk

We may need to confirm your identity before responding to a request.

If you have a concern about how we collect or use your personal information, please contact us so that we have an opportunity to address it.

Email: help@healthmattersgroup.co.uk
Telephone: 020 7622 7727

You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent data-protection regulator.

Visit the ICO website

We review this Privacy Policy regularly and may update it when our services, systems, data-processing activities or legal requirements change.

The date at the top of this page shows when it was last updated.

We encourage you to review this page periodically.

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, how we use your information or your data-protection rights, please contact:

HealthMatters Group Limited

Email: help@healthmattersgroup.co.uk

Telephone: 020 7622 7727

Registered office:
c/o King Edward VII Medical Centre
54 Beaumont Street
London W1G 6DW

Company number: 05654323