Privacy notice

We built DocNearMe to help people in the UK find private healthcare providers and request or book appointments. To do that, we need to process some personal data. We only collect what we need, we do not sell your data for third-party advertising, and we ask for your consent where the law requires it.

You can browse much of our website without creating an account. To book appointments, manage your account, or contact a clinic through DocNearMe, you will need to provide certain information.

For privacy questions or to exercise your rights, email privacy@docnearme.co.uk.

We interact with different types of users on DocNearMe:

• Visitors — anyone who browses our website, searches for providers, or reads public content without signing in.
• Patients — people who create an account, submit booking requests, leave reviews, or contact us for support.
• Providers and clinics — healthcare professionals and clinic staff who list services, manage availability, and respond to booking requests through DocNearMe.

We collect personal data in three main ways:

• automatically, when you use our website;
• directly from you, when you register, book, or contact us; and
• from clinics and partners, where needed to operate the platform.

3.1 Information collected automatically

When you visit DocNearMe, we may collect technical and usage information needed to run, secure, and improve the service. This can include:

• pages viewed, features used, and how you navigate the site;
• device and browser type, operating system, IP address, approximate location derived from IP, referral URLs, and crash or error logs;
• session identifiers and cookie data (see section 5).

3.2 Information you give us

Depending on how you use DocNearMe, you may provide:

Visitors and contact enquiries

• name, email address, and phone number;
• the subject and content of your message;
• any other details you choose to include in a contact or support request.

Patient accounts and bookings

• account details such as name, email address, phone number, and password (stored in hashed form);
• appointment preferences, chosen provider, date and time, and visit type;
• optional booking notes or intake information you choose to share with a clinic (which may include health-related details);
• reviews and ratings you submit about providers;
• communications with us about bookings, cancellations, or support.

Provider and clinic accounts

• clinic or practice name, contact person, email, and phone number;
• professional details shown on public profiles (specialty, qualifications, bio, languages);
• availability, diary, and booking management data;
• staff access details for clinic dashboards.

3.3 Information from other sources

We may receive limited information from:

• clinics and providers you interact with (for example, appointment status updates);
• authentication providers if you sign in using a supported third-party method (we receive only the details needed to create or link your account);
• payment processors, where online payments are enabled (payment status and transaction references — we do not store full card numbers).

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• Running the platform — creating accounts, enabling search, displaying provider profiles, processing booking requests, and sending appointment-related notifications.
• Communicating with you — responding to enquiries, sending booking confirmations and reminders, and providing service updates relevant to your account.
• Trust and safety — verifying provider listings, moderating reviews, preventing fraud and abuse, and protecting the security of our systems.
• Improving DocNearMe — analysing aggregated usage patterns to fix problems and develop features (we do not use your health information for marketing).
• Legal compliance — meeting record-keeping, tax, audit, and regulatory obligations where they apply.
• Marketing — we may send service-related messages about DocNearMe. We will only send promotional emails where permitted by law and where you have opted in, and you can opt out at any time.

If we need to use your data for a new purpose not covered above, we will tell you and, where required, ask for your consent before doing so.

Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We use cookies and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember preferences, and understand how the website is used.

Types of cookies we may use include:

• Strictly necessary cookies — required for authentication, security, and core site functionality.
• Functional cookies — remember choices such as location or filter preferences.
• Analytics cookies — help us understand traffic and improve performance (only where enabled and, where required, with your consent).

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may limit some features, such as staying signed in. For guidance, check your browser's help pages for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge.

We do not sell your personal data. We may share it only where necessary:

• Healthcare providers you choose — when you request or book an appointment, we share the information needed for the clinic to confirm, prepare for, and deliver your visit. That provider handles your clinical data under their own privacy practices.
• Service providers — trusted companies that help us host the website, send emails, process payments, or provide customer support. They may only use your data on our instructions and under appropriate contracts.
• Legal and safety reasons — where required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, safety, and security of users, clinics, or DocNearMe.
• Business transfers — if DocNearMe is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may transfer as part of that process, subject to continued protection.
• With your consent — in any other situation where you have clearly agreed.

Some service providers may process data outside the UK or the European Economic Area. Where this happens, we use appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission, or another lawful transfer mechanism.

7.1 How we protect your data

We apply technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal data, including access controls, encryption in transit, and limiting staff access to what is necessary. No website or database can be guaranteed completely secure. If you believe your account or data may have been compromised, contact privacy@docnearme.co.uk promptly.

7.2 How long we keep data

We retain personal data only for as long as needed for the purposes in this notice, unless a longer period is required by law. In general:

• account data is kept while your account is active and for a reasonable period after closure;
• booking records are kept to support appointments, disputes, and legal obligations;
• technical logs are kept for a limited period for security and troubleshooting;
• marketing preferences are kept until you withdraw consent or object.

When data is no longer needed, we delete or anonymise it in line with our retention practices.

DocNearMe is not directed at children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal data directly from children. Appointments for minors should be arranged by a parent or legal guardian. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data without appropriate authority, contact privacy@docnearme.co.uk and we will take appropriate steps.

If you are in the UK or the European Economic Area, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data, subject to certain exceptions under law:

• Access

  Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

• Rectification

  Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.

• Erasure

  Ask us to delete your data where there is no lawful reason to keep it.

• Restriction

  Ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.

• Portability

  Request a copy of data you provided in a structured, commonly used format, where technically feasible.

• Objection

  Object to processing based on our legitimate interests.

• Withdraw consent

  Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting processing that already took place lawfully.

• Complaint

  Lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. In the UK, this is the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@docnearme.co.uk. We aim to respond within one month. You can also update some account details directly from your account dashboard.

We may update this privacy notice from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will post the updated notice on this page and adjust the “Last updated” date. Where required by law, we will notify you or seek your consent before changes take effect.

We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of DocNearMe after an update means you accept the revised notice, unless the law requires otherwise.