Privacy notice

Appointment Booking Portal

Last updated: 15 January 2025

At East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust, we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This privacy notice explains how we collect, use, store, and share your personal information when you use our online appointment booking portal.

Personal information

What data do you collect?

We collect and process the following personal data relating to you:

  • your email address and mobile phone number

  • your given name and last name

  • your date of birth

  • your NHS number

We also collect and process:

  • information relating to any appointment cancellation or rebooking requests you submit

We may also collect and process:

  • audit data and event logs

  • online identifiers, like your Internet Protocol (IP) addresses

What do you use this data for?

We use this data to:

  • enable you to book your diagnostic appointments online (in accordance with Trust policies)

  • maintain accurate records on the number of appointments cancelled/rescheduled (for internal and national reporting)

  • to maintain the security of our systems.

  • to communicate with you about your appointments, including sending reminders and updates

  • to ensure the appropriate medical services are available during your appointment

  • to improve the appointment booking system and service delivery

  • to comply with legal obligations, including health and safety requirements, and regulatory reporting.

Sharing your information

We may share your personal information in the following circumstances:

  • within the NHS Trust: Your information may be shared with healthcare professionals involved in your care to ensure proper treatment and services are provided.

  • third-party service providers: We may engage third-party providers (NHS App) to support the appointment booking system, such as IT providers or appointment reminder services. These providers are contractually required to protect your information.

  • legal obligations: We may disclose your information if required by law, regulation, or to protect the safety and well-being of individuals.

Data retention

We will retain your personal information for as long as necessary to manage your appointments and comply with our legal obligations.

The records associated with appointment for example the appointment itself and any linked results etc. will be stored as part of your central electronic health record on the applicable Trust clinical information system in accordance with NHS data retention policies.

Your rights

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

  • access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. To request a copy of your health information, please see Access your health records  or call 01233 633 331.

  • correction: You have the right to request corrections to any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

  • deletion: You may request the deletion of your personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions.

  • objection: You may object to how we process your personal data in certain circumstances.

  • data portability: You may request a copy of your personal data in a commonly used, machine-readable format.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer (DPO) at ekhuft.dataprotectionofficer@nhs.net or telephone 01227 866417.

Cookies, tracking technologies and analytics

The Self Service Appointments Portal (Bookings) does not currently use any web analytics.

Changes to this Privacy Notice

We may update this privacy notice from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of significant changes by updating the date of this notice.

Contact us

If you have any questions or concerns about this privacy notice or would like to know how we handle your personal information, please view our Privacy Notice or contact our Data Protection Officer:

Information Governance Manager & Data Protection Officer
East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust
Kent & Canterbury Hospital
Ethelbert Road
Canterbury
CT1 3NG

Thank you for using our NHS Trust appointment booking portal.