Privacy Policy – Millennium Veterinary Practice Ltd

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard the details you share with us when you use our services or website.

Millennium Veterinary Practice Ltd (“we”, “our”, “the Practice”) is the data controller of your information. We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), registration number Z5260970.

You consent, by using our Website, registering with us and by using our veterinary services that personal information you provide will be held on a database called Robovet created by Vetsolutions Ltd. As we require this data to treat your animals and for legal reasons it is necessary for the performance of the contract with you, we consider (under section 3, article 6 of the GDPR regulations) that formal, written consent is not required to record this data.

What information we collect

When you register with us or use our services, we may collect:

Your name, title, postal address, email address, and telephone numbers
Your pet’s details (name, species, breed, age, medical history)
Payment details for processing fees and accounts
Insurance policy details (where applicable)
Information about your visits to our website (such as IP address, browser type, and cookies)
Information exchanged via PetsApp (such as appointment bookings, chat messages, reminders, and payments made through the app)
Telephone recordings (see below)

Telephone recordings

All telephone calls to the Practice are recorded via our provider, 4Com, and stored securely for 6 months. On occasion, certain recordings may be kept for a longer period where required for staff training, insurance purposes, or to support complaint investigations. These recordings are saved on our secure computer systems, with access restricted to authorised staff only.

How we use your information

We process your information to:

Provide veterinary care for your pet
Arrange appointments, send reminders, and follow-up communications
Process payments and manage accounts
Assist with insurance claims (when requested)
Contact you about your pet’s ongoing healthcare needs
Meet legal, regulatory, or professional obligations

We only collect and use your information when necessary to provide our services or where the law requires it.

Who we may share your data with

We will only share your information when necessary for your pet’s care or for legal reasons. This may include:

Referral centres, laboratories, and other veterinary providers involved in your pet’s treatment
Insurance companies (if you ask us to assist with a claim)
Debt collection agencies (if fees remain unpaid)
Our waste contractor (for secure document shredding)
PetsApp Ltd – who provide our secure client communication platform. PetsApp process your data only on our instruction and in line with GDPR.

We never sell your information to third parties.

How we protect your information

Your data is stored securely on our practice management system (Robovet by Vetsolutions Ltd) and protected by firewalls, antivirus software, and regular updates.
Access to your data is restricted to authorised staff.
We review and update your contact details regularly (at least every 6 months).
Any paper records are stored securely and shredded confidentially when no longer required.
PetsApp: All communication and payments made via PetsApp are encrypted and transmitted securely. PetsApp Ltd are GDPR-compliant and act only on our instruction when processing your data.
Telephone recordings are securely stored with 4Com and, where saved longer-term, on our secure internal systems.

If we ever become aware of a data breach that may affect you, we will notify you and the ICO as required by law.

How long we keep your data

We keep your personal information only as long as necessary to provide services and meet legal or regulatory requirements. For example:

Clinical records are kept for a minimum of 7 years (in line with RCVS guidance).
Financial records are kept for 7 years (for HMRC requirements).
Telephone recordings are stored for 6 months, unless retained longer for training, insurance, or complaint purposes.

Communication preferences

Health reminders and essential updates: We will contact you by post, phone, email, SMS, or through PetsApp about treatments your pet may need. We do this under our legitimate interest in protecting animal health.
What is PetsApp? PetsApp is a secure mobile app that allows you to chat directly with our team, receive reminders, manage appointments, and make payments, all in one place. It helps us communicate with you quickly and conveniently about your pet’s care.
Marketing (special offers, promotions, newsletters): We will only send these if you have given us your consent. You can opt in or out at any time by contacting us.
Feedback and reviews: If you provide feedback, we may use your comments on our website, social media, or marketing, but we will never publish your full name or contact details without your consent.

Your rights

You have the right to:

Access the information we hold about you
Request corrections if your information is inaccurate or incomplete
Request deletion of your data (where legally possible)
Restrict or object to certain types of processing
Request transfer of your data to another provider (data portability)
Withdraw consent for marketing at any time

Requests should be made in writing to the Practice Manager (details below). We will respond within one month.

Contact us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests about this privacy policy or how we handle your information, please contact:

Practice Manager
Millennium Veterinary Practice Ltd
1 Millennium Way
Braintree
CM7 3GX

Tel: 01376 3225511
Email: admin@millenniumvets.co.uk

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk.