Privacy Policy for Dr O’Callaghan Dental Care
Our website address is: https://drhenryocal.co.za.
Who We Are
This website is operated by Dr O’Callaghan Inc. (Registration Number: 2025/561043/21), trading as Dr O’Callaghan Dental Care / Dr Henry O’Callaghan Dental Care. We are a dental practice located at 29 Hof Street, Malnesbury, 7300, South Africa. Our Information Officer is Dr Henry O’Callaghan, who can be contacted at admin@drhenryocal.co.za.
Personal Information We Collect and Why We Collect It
The primary purpose of this website is to provide information about our practice. The only direct method through which we collect personal information is the Patient Intake Form available on our “Medical Documents” page.
Patient Intake Form
When you use our Patient Intake Form, we collect the personal information you voluntarily provide to us. This is necessary for us to assess your suitability for treatment and to provide you with safe, effective dental care. The information we collect includes:
- Identification & Contact Details: Such as your full name, identity number, date of birth, telephone number, email address, and physical address.
- Special Personal Information (Health Data): This includes your detailed medical history, dental history, current symptoms, medication lists, and any other health-related information you disclose. This is considered “special personal information” under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and is treated with the highest level of confidentiality.
- Administrative & Financial Information: Such as your medical aid scheme and number.
Lawful Basis for Processing (POPIA Conditions)
We process your information because it is:
- Necessary for providing healthcare services, which is a legitimate interest of our practice.
- Necessary to perform a contract (or to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contract).
- Necessary to comply with our legal obligations (e.g., as required by the Health Professions Council of South Africa – HPCSA).
- For special personal information, it is necessary for healthcare purposes.
Cookies
Our website uses cookies for essential functions and to understand visitor traffic patterns, which helps us improve our site.
- Strictly Necessary Cookies: These are essential for the website to function securely and are always active.
- Performance/Analytics Cookies: These help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. We will request your consent to use these cookies via a cookie banner.
You can manage your cookie preferences through the cookie banner on our website or your browser settings. Blocking certain cookies may affect the full functionality of the site.
Embedded Content from Other Websites
Pages or articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g., videos, images, articles). Embedded content from other websites (like YouTube or Vimeo) behaves in the exact same way as if you had visited the other website.
These third-party websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content. We have no control over these third-party sites and their privacy practices.
Who We Share Your Data With
Your personal information is treated as strictly confidential. We will only share it with third parties under the following circumstances:
- With Your Consent: For example, when referring you to a specialist.
- With Our Operators (Processors): We use trusted third-party service providers who help us operate our practice and this website (e.g., IT support, cloud storage providers, and secure email services). These operators are bound by strict contractual agreements to keep your information confidential and secure.
- For Legal Obligations: Where we are required to do so by law or to comply with a request from a regulatory body (e.g., your medical aid scheme for claim verification, or the HPCSA for audit purposes).
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data.
How Long We Retain Your Data
Information submitted through the Patient Intake Form is transferred to our secure patient management system and forms part of your clinical record.
We retain patient records for a minimum period as required by law (at least 6 years for adults and for children, until the child turns 21). After this period, records are securely and permanently destroyed.
What Rights You Have Over Your Data
Under POPIA, you have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you.
- Request correction or deletion of your personal information (note: we cannot delete information we are legally obligated to retain, such as health records for the mandated period).
- Object to the processing of your personal information.
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Information Officer, Dr Henry O’Callaghan, at admin@drhenryocal.co.za.
Where Your Data Is Sent
The information from the Patient Intake Form is sent to our secure practice email and management systems. Where we use service providers that process data outside of South Africa, we will ensure they are subject to laws, binding agreements, or policies that provide an adequate level of protection similar to POPIA.
How We Protect Your Data
We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal information. This includes secure servers, encrypted data transmission (where possible), access controls, and comprehensive staff training on confidentiality and information security protocols.
Our Contact Information
For any questions regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact our Information Officer:
Dr Henry O’Callaghan
Epos: admin@drhenryocal.co.za
Tel: 082 508 0117
Address: 30 Hof Street, Malmesbury, 7300, South Africa
Complaints
If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your personal information, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa at:
JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
Website: https://inforegulator.org.za
Epos: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za