Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy Effective From 10th July 2026
Chester Hearing and Balance Services LLP (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting and respecting the privacy of our patients and clients. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal and health data in compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
We are registered in England as a Limited Liability Partnership (Partnership Number: OC374537). Our registered address is Chester Wellness Centre, Wrexham Road, Chester, CH4 9DE.
1. The Data We Collect
We collect and process personal data to safely deliver audiological services, examinations, wax removal, and hearing instrument fittings. This data includes:
Personal Identifiers: Name, address, date of birth, telephone numbers, and email address.
Financial Information: Payment card details, bank details, or health insurance policy details.
Special Category (Health) Data: Medical history, audiograms, symptoms, ear health notes, and clinical outcomes.
2. Our Lawful Basis for Processing Data
Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process your information. We rely on the following legal grounds:
For Standard Personal & Financial Data:
Performance of a Contract: We process your contact and billing details to fulfil our service agreement with you (e.g., booking an appointment or providing hearing aids).
Legitimate Interests: We process data to efficiently run our clinic, manage accounts, and respond to enquiries.
For Special Category Health Data: Article 9(2)(h) – Provision of Health or Social Care: We process medical and audiological records because it is necessary for medical diagnosis, clinical assessment, and providing direct health treatment.
3. How We Share Your Information
We keep your medical details strictly confidential. However, to coordinate your care, we may share relevant data with:
Your Healthcare Team: Your referring medical consultants, ENT specialist, or GP (where you have explicitly authorized us to do so or where implied for direct clinical care).
Authorised Service Providers: Secure medical practice management systems and essential payment processors. All third-party systems are contractually obligated to protect your data under strict UK privacy laws.
Insurance Providers: Third-party insurance firms, strictly to seek authorisation or process claims on your behalf.
We do not transfer your personal data outside of the UK or the European Economic Area (EEA) unless secure, legally approved data protection frameworks are in place.
4. Data Retention (How Long We Keep Your Files)
We do not store your data indefinitely. In line with UK healthcare guidelines and legal retention requirements for medical records:
Adult Records: Audiology, diagnostic, and clinical files are securely stored for a minimum of 8 years from the date of your last appointment or treatment conclusion.
Children’s Records: Any paediatric files are kept until the child’s 25th birthday, or 8 years after their last treatment if they were 17 at the conclusion of care.
Financial Records: Billing and payment data are retained for 6 years to comply with UK tax laws.
Once these legal retention periods expire, paper records are cross-shredded securely on-site, and electronic records are permanently deleted or irreversibly anonymised.
5. Your Legal Rights
Under the UK GDPR, you hold specific data rights regarding your information. You have the right to:
Access your data: Request a copy of the personal and medical files we hold about you (a Subject Access Request).
Rectify your data: Request that we fix any inaccurate or incomplete information.
Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): Request deletion of your data, subject to our overriding legal and medical requirements to retain medical records.
Restrict or Object to processing: Ask us to halt or limit specific processing, such as opting out of marketing communications.
To exercise any of these rights, please submit a written request containing your name and contact details to our Data Protection representative at info@chesterhearingandbalance.co.uk or via post to our Chester Wellness Centre address. We will verify your identity before releasing any records.
6. Enquiries, Complaints and Data Breaches
If you have questions or a complaint about how your data is handled, please contact us directly at:
Chester Hearing and Balance Services LLP
Chester Wellness Centre, Wrexham Road, Chester, CH4 9DE
Email: info@chesterhearingandbalance.co.uk
Phone: 01244 680214
We will acknowledge all complaints swiftly and aim to thoroughly investigate and respond within 20 working days.
If you remain unsatisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a formal complaint directly with the UK supervisory authority:
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Website:https://ico.org.uk
In the highly unlikely event of a personal data breach that threatens your rights or freedoms, we are committed to notifying the ICO within 72 hours and contacting you directly without undue delay.
Get in touch with Chester Hearing & Balance Services today for expert hearing solutions.
Call us today on 01244 680214 or on 07938 942420
Independent Hearing Service Provider