Privacy Policy
Last updated: 21 September 2026
At R T Jones Veterinary Surgery, we are a small, family-run independent veterinary practice. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting the personal information that you share with us.
This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, who we may share it with and the rights you have in relation to your information.
For the purposes of UK data protection law, R T Jones Veterinary Surgery is the Data Controller for the personal information covered by this policy.
Information We Collect
When you register with us, contact us or use our veterinary services, we may collect personal information including:
Your name
Home address
Email address
Telephone and mobile numbers
Details relating to appointments and communications with us
Payment and transaction information
Pet insurance details where relevant
Information contained within correspondence, complaints or enquiries
Information you provide to us in connection with your pet and their veterinary care
We also maintain clinical records concerning animals treated by the practice. These records may contain information relating to you as the owner or keeper of the animal.
How We Use Your Information
We may use your personal information to:
Register you and your pet with our practice
Arrange and manage appointments
Provide veterinary care and treatment
Contact you regarding your pet’s health or treatment
Send appointment, vaccination, medication and preventative healthcare reminders
Maintain appropriate clinical and client records
Process payments and maintain financial records
Communicate with referral practices, laboratories and other veterinary service providers where necessary
Respond to questions, feedback or complaints
Meet our professional, regulatory and legal obligations
Protect the safety and security of our clients, staff, patients and premises
Send marketing communications where we have the appropriate permission or another lawful basis to do so
Our Lawful Basis for Using Your Information
Depending on why we are using your information, we may process it because:
It is necessary to perform our contract with you – for example, registering you as a client, arranging veterinary services and administering payment for those services.
It is necessary for our legitimate interests – for example, operating and improving our veterinary practice, maintaining appropriate records, protecting our business and responding to enquiries, provided those interests do not override your rights and interests.
We have a legal obligation – where we are required to retain, process or disclose information to comply with applicable law.
You have given us consent – where consent is the appropriate lawful basis, for example for certain types of marketing or optional technologies. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.
Appointment and Healthcare Reminders
We may contact you with information relevant to your pet’s care, including appointment reminders, vaccination reminders, medication or preventative healthcare reminders and other communications relating to veterinary services you receive from us.
Please let us know if your contact details change so that we can keep our records accurate.
Marketing
From time to time, we may wish to tell you about services, products or information that may be relevant to you and your pet.
Where your consent is required for marketing, we will obtain it before sending those communications.
You can change your marketing preferences or ask us to stop sending marketing communications at any time by contacting the practice.
Sharing Your Information
We respect the confidentiality of our clients and will not disclose your personal information unnecessarily.
However, in order to provide veterinary services and operate our practice, we may need to share relevant information with trusted organisations or individuals.
These may include:
Referral practices and veterinary specialists
If your pet is referred to another veterinary surgeon, hospital or specialist, relevant clinical and contact information may be provided so that appropriate care can be arranged.
Diagnostic laboratories and other veterinary service providers
We may provide relevant information to laboratories or other providers where this is necessary to arrange diagnostic tests, treatment or other services.
Pet crematoria
Where you ask us to arrange cremation or related services, we may provide the information necessary to arrange those services.
Payment providers and banks
We may share the information necessary to process payments, refunds or other financial transactions.
Professional advisers and service providers
We may use trusted providers who help us operate our practice, website and IT systems. Where they process personal information on our behalf, appropriate data protection arrangements will be put in place.
Legal, regulatory or law-enforcement bodies
Information may be disclosed where we are legally required or otherwise permitted to do so, or where disclosure is justified in connection with animal welfare or the wider public interest.
Pet Insurance
We do not process direct insurance claims on behalf of clients.
Where requested, we can complete or provide the relevant veterinary information and documentation required to support you in submitting a claim to your pet insurance provider.
A £10 administration fee is charged for completing insurance paperwork. This fee is non-refundable, regardless of the outcome of your insurance claim.
If you ask us to communicate with your pet insurance provider, we may share relevant information with them where appropriate and with your authority.
Please note that responsibility for submitting and managing the insurance claim, and for payment of all veterinary fees, remains with the client.
Moving to Another Veterinary Practice
If you decide to move your pet’s care to another veterinary practice, we can provide the relevant clinical history to the new practice when appropriately requested.
Any personal information contained within those records will be handled in accordance with our professional and data protection obligations.
Keeping Your Information Secure
We take reasonable and appropriate steps to protect the personal information entrusted to us.
Access to personal information is limited to members of our team and authorised service providers who have a genuine need to access it.
Appropriate technical and organisational measures are used to help protect information against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure.
Members of our veterinary team are also subject to professional duties of confidentiality.
How Long We Keep Your Information
We retain personal and clinical information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and to meet our professional, legal, accounting, insurance and regulatory obligations.
Different types of information may therefore be retained for different periods.
When information is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, destroyed or anonymised where appropriate.
CCTV
When CCTV is in operation at our premises, it may be used for the safety and security of our clients, staff, visitors, animals and property and for the prevention, detection and investigation of incidents.
Appropriate signs will be displayed where CCTV is in operation.
CCTV footage will be stored securely and access will be restricted to authorised persons.
Recordings may normally be retained for up to 90 days, after which they will be securely deleted or overwritten unless there is a legitimate reason to retain particular footage for longer, for example in connection with an incident, complaint, legal matter or lawful request from an appropriate authority.
AI-Assisted Clinical Note Taking
We may use secure digital technology, including AI-assisted note-taking tools, to assist our veterinary professionals in preparing accurate and efficient clinical records.
Where such technology is used, appropriate information will be provided about its use and how personal information is processed.
Any notes generated with the assistance of such technology are intended to support our veterinary professionals in maintaining clinical records and do not replace their professional judgement.
We take appropriate measures to protect personal and confidential information processed through these systems and use providers that meet our data protection and security requirements.
Our Website and Cookies
When you use our website, certain technical information may be collected through cookies and similar technologies.
Some cookies are necessary for the website to function. Other optional cookies, such as analytics cookies, will be used in accordance with applicable consent requirements.
Further information can be found in our Cookie Policy, including information about managing your cookie preferences.
Your Rights
Under UK data protection law, you may have rights in relation to your personal information, depending on the circumstances.
These may include the right to:
Ask for access to personal information we hold about you
Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information
Ask for personal information to be erased in certain circumstances
Ask us to restrict the way information is processed in certain circumstances
Object to certain processing of your personal information
Receive certain information in a portable format where applicable
Withdraw your consent at any time where we rely on consent
These rights are not absolute and may not apply in every circumstance.
Where we process your information on the basis of our legitimate interests, you also have the right to object to that processing in certain circumstances.
Contacting Us About Your Information
If you have a question about this Privacy Policy, would like to exercise one of your data protection rights, or have concerns about how your information has been handled, please contact us:
R T Jones Veterinary Surgery
109 Higher Road
Urmston
Manchester
M41 9AX
Email: rtjonesvets@gmail.com
Telephone: 0161 748 6177
We will deal with requests in accordance with applicable data protection law and may need to ask for information to confirm your identity before disclosing personal information.
Complaints About the Use of Your Personal Information
If you have a concern about how we have handled your personal information, we would appreciate the opportunity to address it first. Please contact us using the details above.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent data protection regulator.
Information Commissioner’s Office: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/data-protection-complaints/check-if-you-can-complain/