PRIVACY POLICY
Who we are
This website is operated by Dr Alka Patel, trading as Lifestyle First Ltd (also trading as "Longevity Lifestyle Concierge"), a private lifestyle and longevity medicine practice registered with the Care Quality Commission and the Information Commissioner's Office (registration ZA532640). Dr Alka Patel is the data controller responsible for your personal information.
Contact: dralka@dralkapatel.com
What information we collect
- Contact details you give us (name, email, phone, address, date of birth, gender, ethnicity) when you get in touch or book a consultation
- Health information you share with us as part of your care (medical history, symptoms, consultation notes, test results, medication)
- Data from wearable devices or continuous monitors, where you choose to share it as part of your care
- Information from other health professionals involved in your care, with your consent (for example, your NHS GP)
- Payment details, processed securely by our payment provider (Stripe) - we do not store your full card details
- Basic technical information about how you use this website (see Cookies, below)
How and why we use it
We use your information to provide your consultations and care, arrange and review tests, communicate with you, and meet our legal and regulatory obligations. We process this under UK GDPR as necessary to perform our contract with you (Article 6(1)(b)) and for health and social care purposes (Article 9(2)(h)).
Who we share it with
We only share your information where necessary for your care or where the law requires it:
- Your NHS GP or another treating clinician, with your consent
- Third-party laboratories, testing providers, and phlebotomy services, to carry out tests you've requested
- Stripe, our payment processor, to take payment for consultations
- Zoom, for video consultations
- Google Workspace, where your records are securely stored
- Regulators (such as the CQC or ICO), where we are legally required to report or disclose information
We never sell your data or share it for marketing without your separate, explicit consent.
International transfers
Some of the third-party services we use (for example, Zoom or Google Workspace) may process data outside the UK. Where this happens, we only use providers with appropriate safeguards in place (such as UK/EU-approved standard contractual clauses).
Security
Your health records are held electronically, protected by mandatory two-factor authentication and restricted access. No paper medical records are kept.
How long we keep your information
We retain patient records for a minimum of 8 years, in line with recognised clinical records retention guidance, after which they are securely destroyed.
Your rights
You have the right to request access to, correction of, deletion of, or restriction on the use of your personal data, and to request that your data be provided to you in a portable format. To exercise any of these rights, contact dralka@dralkapatel.com.
Consent
We ask for your consent at booking and during consultations for how we use your information. When you book and pay for a consultation, service or product (usually via our Stripe payment page), you are shown the following when you complete your booking:
By booking/purchasing a consultation, service or product, you agree that Dr Alka Patel may:
1. Verify your identity and location
2. Store information provided securely
3. Consult/coach via video/telephone/email/ text
4. Issue medication/supplements
5. Review tests/use devices
6. Track your wearable data
7. Discuss/write to your NHS GP or other health professionals if needed.
See privacy policy on www.dralkapatel.com
Contact dralka@dralkapatel.com to discuss accessibility or modify consent.
This, together with the fact of booking and paying for a specific service, forms part of your consent to the matters above. It does not replace any further consent discussions we may have with you directly during your consultation, particularly for anything specific to your care, test, or treatment.
You can withdraw or change your consent at any time by contacting us at dralka@dralkapatel.com, though this may affect our ability to continue providing your care.
Confidentiality
Everything you share with us is treated in confidence. We will not disclose identifiable information about you to anyone without your consent, except in the rare circumstances the law requires or permits it - for example, where there is a serious risk to your safety or someone else's.
Children
This service is for adults only (18 and over). We do not knowingly collect personal data relating to children through this website.
Cookies and website analytics
This website may use cookies or similar technologies to help it function and to understand how visitors use it. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. We do not use cookies to build advertising profiles about you.
Feedback and complaints
If you're unhappy with any aspect of your care, please contact Dr Alka Patel directly at dralka@dralkapatel.com. We aim to acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and give a full response within 20 working days. If that's not possible, we'll let you know and keep you updated, and if your case takes longer than 40 working days, we will update you at least every 10 working days until it's resolved.
If you remain unhappy with our response, you can refer your complaint to the Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS), the independent adjudicator for private healthcare, within 6 months of our final response: ISCAS, CEDR, 3rd Floor, 100 St. Paul's Churchyard, London, EC4M 8BU. Tel: 020 7536 6091. Email: info@iscas.org.uk. Website: www.iscas.org.uk.
You do not need to wait until your complaint to us is finished before contacting a regulator. At any time, you can also share feedback or a concern with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) via www.cqc.org.uk/give-feedback-on-care, or raise a concern about Dr Patel's fitness to practise as a doctor with the General Medical Council (GMC) at www.gmc-uk.org.
If your concern is specifically about how we've handled your personal data, you also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint, or 0303 123 1113.