Challenging misleading healthcare claims.

Privacy

Please also refer to our General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Compliance Statement, which should be read in conjunction with this page.

Like most websites you visit, this website automatically collects some information about you and your visit. You may also provide information when you submit a comment.

This privacy notice tells you what Personal Data (PD) and other data is collected, what it is used for and how it is used, how you can restrict that PD being passed to the website and what the implication of doing so might be.

It also tells you about your rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

We do not hold or process any PD other than that you provide to us manually or automatically by your browser through the use of this website.

We will not sell or rent your PD to third parties.

We will not share your PD with third parties for marketing or any other purpose.

Cookies

The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (PECR) cover the use of cookies and similar technologies for storing information, and accessing information stored, on a user's equipment such as their computer or mobile device.

A cookie is a small file containing a string of characters that is sent to your computer when you visit some websites. When you visit the website again, the cookie is sent back to the website and allows that website to recognise your browser. Cookies may also store user preferences and other information and can be used to gather anonymous analytics that help improve websites based on how people use them. The use of cookies and similar technologies has for some time been commonplace and cookies in particular are important in the provision of many online services. You can reset your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, some website features or services may not function properly without cookies.

Controlling cookies

We use the CookieYes service to allow you to control cookies.

The first time you visit our website, a banner gives information about cookies and a link to this Privacy policy. You can choose to accept or reject cookies in various categories. The Necessary cookies cannot be rejected as they are necessary for the functioning and security of the website.

You can select which other categories of cookies you wish to accept or reject by adjusting the sliders next to the category names in the banner and then clicking on the 'Save & accept' button.

The ‘Cookies’ button in the banner (click on the ‘Privacy and cookie consent’ tab first if the banner is not visible, or click here: Cookies) gives information on the categories and lists the individual cookies in each category.

Necessary cookies remembering whether or not you accepted the different categories of cookies will be stored on your computer so that we won't need to ask you every time you visit, but note that you will be asked again if you don't visit our website for one year.

Whether you accept or reject cookies, by continuing to browse this website you are agreeing to this Privacy policy.

This website uses joomla software, which uses a cookie to ensure proper operation of the website.

This website uses Google Analytics for visitor tracking (currently inactive).

The cookies used are detailed below:

Embedded content from other websites

Posts on this website may include embedded content (eg videos, images, articles, etc). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracing your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Social network tracking cookies

The social network share buttons may set third-party cookies on your machine that allows them to track you. Please refer to the privacy policies of the social network for details of what information they gather and how they track you.

Advert tracking cookies

This website does not carry adverts.

Viewing cookies

If you wish to view cookies from a website, consult your browser's help pages.

Changing browser settings to accept or reject cookies

If you wish to prevent all cookies from being placed on your computer, you will need to change your browser settings to reject cookies. How to do this will depend on which browser you use and further details for the most popular browsers is provided below. However, this may severely affect how web pages look and how they function and some websites may not display at all. These links also provide information on additional security and privacy features and tools.

Internet Explorer

Chrome

Firefox

Safari

Opera

For other browsers, consult the browser's help pages or the browser's supplier.

For information on how to do this on the browser of your mobile phone please refer to your phone's manual or the manufacturer's website.

Useful information

Information regarding the PECR on cookies can be found on the website of the Information Commissioner's Office.

A number of websites provide detailed information on cookies, including AllAboutCookies.org and AllAboutCookies.org.uk.

The Internet Advertising Bureau website Your Online Choices allows you to install opt-out cookies across different advertising networks.

Google has developed a browser add-on to allow users to opt-out of Google Analytics across all websites that use Google Analytics.

Technologies such as Mozilla's Do Not Track allow you to tell websites not to track you.

Internet Explorer has a feature called Tracking Protection Lists that allows you to import a list of websites you want to block.

Many browsers, including Chrome and Firefox, allow you to prevent third-party websites setting cookies. Consult your browser's help pages for further information.

Contact form

When you fill in the contact form, you are given the opportunity to provide a name and email address that we can use to reply to you. We will only use this email address to reply to you and we will not pass it to anyone else.

Links to other websites

This website contains links to websites owned and operated by third parties. If you use these links, you leave our website. These links are provided for your information and convenience only and are not an endorsement by us of the content of these linked websites or their owners or authors. We have no control over the contents of any linked website and are not responsible for these websites or their content or availability. Content of these websites may have changed or may have been removed since we linked to them. We accept no liability for any websites linked to from this website.

This privacy notice does not cover links within this website linking to other websites. Visiting other websites may cause cookies to be placed on your computer. You are encouraged to read the privacy statements on the other websites you visit.

RSS feed

If you subscribe to one of our RSS feeds using an RSS Reader, we do not retain any information about you or your subscription. However, since we use Google's FeedBurner service to deliver the feed, you should consult their privacy policy.

If you subscribe to one of our RSS feeds via FeedBurner and choose delivery by email, FeedBurner will collect and retain the email address you enter and this information is available to us.

Server

When you visit this website, standard Internet server log information is collected. This includes browser data, your IP address and the pages you visit. This is stored in the website server logs as it is done on most other websites you visit. This does not contain PD.

Server location

The server that hosts this website is located in the USA and is provided by A Small Orange.

Backups

Backups of the website are stored in a fully encrypted form.

Trade marks and copyright

We retain copyright on all original material on this website. We acknowledge the trade marks and copyright of others, but we use material under the fair dealing concept, generally for criticism or review.

Image credits

Various images are used on this website from the following sources:

Freeimages

ccPixs

Wikipedia Commons

Newsletter subscription

When you subscribe to our newsletter, you must supply a name and a valid email address. This information, along with the IP address used to subscribe, are captured automatically and retained.

We may use the details you have supplied and the IP address to check whether you are suspected of spamming other websites and we will use this information to consider whether to allow your subscription. We may use the information supplied and the IP address and log them with an anti-spam service to warn others of suspected spamming activity.

Subscription is granted entirely at our discretion and we reserve the right to refuse a subscription without giving any reason.

If we refuse your subscription, the details you entered are automatically retained. This gives us a measure of control over repeated applications, which frequently occurs when spammers try to subscribe.

To unsubscribe from the newsletter, click on the link at the bottom of every newsletter or contact us, giving us the name and email address you used to subscribe.

If you unsubscribe from the newsletter, your personal details are not automatically deleted, but we will delete them within three months.

When we send out a newsletter, we automatically gather details about whether you open the email and which links you click on. We use this information to gauge the effectiveness of our newsletters.

Your rights

The GDPR gives you certain rights.

Access

You can request to receive the PD we hold about you.

You can ask for a copy of your PD by submitting a request via the contact form, giving us your name and email address. Once we have verified your email address, we will email you the data.

Erasure

You can ask that we erase your PD by submitting a request via the contact form, giving us your name and email address you provided. Once we have verified your email address, we will erase the PD.

Effectivity

This privacy notice is effective from 25 May 2018 until it is withdrawn or superseded.

Changes to this privacy notice

This privacy notice is kept under regular review. This privacy notice was last updated on 08 April 2019.

If you have any queries about this privacy notice, please contact us.