Privacy Policy

Last updated: 23 February 2023

Protecting Your Privacy

At Veterinary Business Development, we take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We adhere to strict data protection laws to ensure your information is handled securely and responsibly.

This policy outlines how we collect, use, and protect your personal data.

Accessing Our Website

You can visit our website without revealing any personal information. No personal data is required to use the site.

We continuously monitor our management of consumer information to uphold your legal rights.

Collecting Your Personal Information

VBD will not collect, store, or process any personal information about you unless you voluntarily provide it with your implied or explicit consent.

VBD may ask for, or you may choose to submit, personal data (such as your email address and contact details) by:

• Filling out a feedback form
• Signing up for our mailing list
• Otherwise telling VBD about yourself or your activities

We require this information to understand your needs and provide a better service. We will also use it to:

• Send you requested information about future offers, events, new products, or related activities.
• Carry out operational, identification, marketing, administrative, advertising, and promotional purposes (in compliance with data protection regulations).

We will not bombard you with emails, but we would like to keep you informed about VBD developments.

We may also contact you for market research purposes or to inform you about new website features, but only with your prior consent.

We will never collect sensitive information about you without your explicit consent (e.g., religion, medical condition).

If you don't want VBD to collect your personal or sensitive data, please don't submit it or consent to its use when given the opportunity.

You are responsible for ensuring the information you provide is accurate and current.

Registering Via Social Network

If you choose to register via a social network, you acknowledge and consent for your data held by the social network site (subject to their terms and conditions) to be processed and shared via a third party, potentially based outside the European Economic Area (EEA). We may also process this data. The obtained data might include:

• Your Name
• Your email address

Storing Your Personal Information

Data Location

Once collected, your personal information (data) will be stored securely within the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA).

Newsletter Information

For information specifically related to newsletter subscriptions and individual email campaigns, we use The Rocket Science Group (MailChimp) based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. They adhere to strict data protection protocols that comply with US legislation and international regulations.

For more information about MailChimp's data protection practices, you can contact them directly:

• MailChimp, The Rocket Science Group, LLC
• 675 Ponce de Leon Ave NE, Suite 5000
• Atlanta, GA 30308 USA
• abuse@mailchimp.com

Security Measures

VBD complies with the UK Data Protection Act 2018 by implementing strict security procedures to safeguard your personal information. These measures prevent unauthorized access or use of your data.

Protection Strategies

To ensure comprehensive protection, we have implemented a combination of physical, electronic, and managerial safeguards. These measures secure the information we collect online, including:

• Physical access controls for our buildings and data storage
• Secure electronic systems
• Employee training on data privacy and security
• Strict access controls for personnel who handle your data

Data Loss Prevention

We use specific technology measures and security policies to further protect your information from:

• Unauthorized access
• Improper use
• Alteration
• Unlawful or accidental destruction
• Accidental loss

Legal Requirements

In rare cases, VBD, its officers, or employees may be legally required to disclose your information under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act or similar legislation. We will cooperate with such requests from appropriate authorities but will strive to inform you whenever possible.

Disclosing Your Personal Information

We are committed to protecting your privacy and will not disclose your personal information to any third party unless:

• You have explicitly consented to the disclosure.
• You have explicitly consented to the disclosure.

Limited Use of Your Information

Your personal information will only be used for the specific purpose(s) for which you provided it and to which you consented. We will not use it for any other reason without your permission.

Sharing Within VBD Group (Optional)

Your personal information may be shared with other companies within the Veterinary Business Development Ltd group, but only with your consent. If you do not want this to happen, please let us know by emailing us at contactus@vbd.co.uk.

Accessing and Updating Your Information

You have the right to access and update your personal information. If you believe any information we hold about you is incorrect, or you wish to have it deleted or amended, please email us at the address below:

• contactus@vbd.co.uk

We will promptly correct the information or remove it from our database as per your request.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with our response to your request regarding your personal information, you can lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office. You can contact them at:

• Information Commissioner's Office
• Wycliffe House
• Water Lane
• Wilmslow
• Cheshire SK9 5AF

Alternatively, you can submit a complaint online: Information Commissioner's Office

Accessing Your Information

Data Access Requests

You have the right to request details about the personal data VBD holds on you. We will provide the first copy free of charge. However, any additional copies may incur a reasonable fee (maximum £10).

To submit a data access request, please email us at: contactus@vbd.co.uk

Contact Information

If you have any further questions about our Privacy Policy, data collection practices, or data usage, you can contact us by:

• Email: contactus@vbd.co.uk
• Address: Veterinary Business Development Limited, Olympus House, Werrington Centre, Peterborough, PE4 6NA

Section 2: Lawful Basis for Processing Personal Information

We only collect and use your personal information when permitted by law. The most common legal bases for processing your data are:

• Legitimate Interest: We may process your personal information when it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as improving our services or marketing our products.
• Consent: We may collect information about you through consent forms at specific events. We will only process information with your explicit consent.

Less commonly, we may also process your personal information when necessary to protect your vital interests or the interests of others.

Section 3: Information We Collect

During your interactions with us, we may collect the following information:

• Personal Information:
• Name (including maiden name)
• Home address
• Work address
• Geographical location coordinates
• Email address (work and personal)
• Contact phone numbers (landline and mobile)
• Financial information (if applicable)
• Job title
• RCVS membership number
• Qualifications, certificates, and diplomas
• Year of qualification
• Country of qualification
• University attended
• Gender
• Species treated/seen
• Audited validation question answer
• Marketing prefrences

Section 4: Data Retention

Retention Policy

At VBD, we are committed to responsible data management. We only retain your personal information for as long as necessary for the specific purpose(s) for which it was collected. All collected information has a defined retention period aligned with our internal retention policy.

Obtaining a Copy of the Retention Policy

If you'd like to see a copy of our retention policy, please refer to Section 11 ("Additional Information") of this privacy policy.

Section 5: Data Security

High Security Standards

VBD takes data security very seriously and uses high standards of information security to protect your personal information. We implement a combination of physical, electronic, and administrative safeguards to achieve this.

Security Measures

• Computer safeguards: Firewalls and data encryption are used to protect your information.
• Physical access controls: Access to our buildings and files is strictly controlled.
• Employee access restrictions: Only authorized personnel with a legitimate business need can access your information.
• Security training: All employees receive regular information security training.

Media Handling Policy

VBD also has a comprehensive media handling policy that outlines best practices for handling all types of media containing personal information.

Obtaining a Copy of the Media Handling Policy

If you'd like to receive a copy of the media handling policy, please refer to Section 11 ("Additional Information") of this privacy policy.

Section 6: Cookies

What are Cookies?

Cookies are small data files stored on your device (computer, phone, etc.) when you visit a website. They allow websites to remember your preferences and actions, such as login details or recently viewed items.

VBD Cookies

VBD uses its own cookies (first-party cookies) on our website. These cookies are essential for the site to function properly.

Third-Party Cookies

Other websites may also place cookies on your device when you visit our site (third-party cookies). We do not control these cookies.

VBD Cookie Policy

For detailed information about the cookies used on our website, please refer to our separate Cookie Policy available here: https://www.vettimes.co.uk/cookie-policy/

Section 7: Children Information

Protecting Children

VBD does not knowingly collect personal information from children without the consent of a parent or guardian. If you believe we may have unintentionally collected information about a child, please contact us at contactus@vbd.co.uk and we will remove the information promptly.

Section 8: Your Rights

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have several rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of Access: You have the right to request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and, if so, access to that data.
• Right to Rectification: You have the right to request the correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Right to Erasure: You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data under certain circumstances.
• Right to Restriction of Processing: You have the right to request the restriction of processing your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Right to Data Portability: You have the right to request the transfer of your personal data to another organization in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

If you have any questions about these rights or wish to exercise them, please contact us at contactus@vbd.co.uk.

Please note that certain rights may be limited under specific circumstances. For a full explanation of these rights, you should consult the relevant laws and guidance from the regulatory authorities.

Section 9: Data Transfers and Third Parties

9.1 Sharing Your Information

Veterinary Business Development (VBD) may disclose your personal data (listed in Section 3) to third parties when necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy and based on the legal grounds we described.

For more information about specific third-party data sharing practices, please refer to Section 11 ("Additional Information") of this policy.

9.2 Hotjar

VBD uses Hotjar to improve user experience on our website. Hotjar does not collect any personal information from users.

We understand Hotjar is not currently GDPR compliant, but they assure us compliance is forthcoming. Here's a link for updates on their progress: [link to Hotjar compliance information].

ou can also review Hotjar's privacy policy here: https://hotjar.com/privacy/

9.3 Typeform

VBD uses Typeform to:

• Update your Vetfile subscriptions/preferences for VBD products and services.
• Conduct market research surveys and competitions (with consent from opted-in Vetfile recipients).

For more information about Typeform usage, please refer to Section 11 ("Additional Information") of this policy.

9.4 MailChimp

If you subscribe to our newsletter, your email address and information about clicked links will be stored on a MailChimp server.

Neither VBD nor MailChimp will ever sell or share your email address without legal obligation. MailChimp may contact you directly only if you contact them regarding your subscription.

Only authorized MailChimp personnel have access to VBD's subscriber list. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time. However, as long as you are registered with VBD, they may use MailChimp to send account-related information.

9.5 Hosting

VBD uses Digital Ocean and WP-Engine as cloud hosting for secure and fast services. Digital Ocean and WP-Engine do not have access to your personal information unless specifically requested for significant changes. They also ensure system backups are secure and accessible only by authorized personnel.

For details on Digital Ocean and WP-Engines’ media handling processes, please refer to Section 11 ("Additional Information") of this policy.

9.6 Pulse CRM

VBD uses Pulse CRM, a secure cloud-based customer management system. Pulse CRM allows authorized VBD employees to access contact records for customers, prospects, suppliers, and contributors. Users can record activities like notes, email history, and meeting details.

Pulse CRM has limited access functionalities to ensure personal information security. It cannot be exported or deleted without a superuser/administrator request.

Pulse CRM helps manage departmental workflows and provides real-time data access.

For more information about Pulse CRM usage, please refer to Section 11 ("Additional Information") of this policy.

9.7 Social Media Platforms

Some VBD websites may use social sharing buttons. Users are advised that using these buttons is at their own discretion, and the social media platform may track and save your request to share a web page.

Important Note: VBD websites and owners will never request personal or sensitive information through social media platforms. We encourage users to contact us through primary channels for sensitive discussions.

For more information about social media platform data practices, please refer to Section 11 ("Additional Information") of this policy.

9.8 Shortened Links in Social Media

VBD and its owners may share web links through social media accounts. Social media platforms may shorten these links. Users are advised to exercise caution before clicking shortened URLs. VBD and its owners cannot be held liable for any damages caused by clicking shortened links.

9.9 Email Newsletters

VBD complies with the UK Spam Law (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003). All subscription data is held and processed securely according to Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR.

You have the right to access your information (first copy free, additional copies subject to a £10 fee) and unsubscribe from communications by contacting contactus@vbd.co.uk.

9.10 Information Security with Transfers

This section explains data transfers to countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

VBD may transfer personal information to third parties outside the EEA. We ensure the highest information security standards are used to protect your data, including encryption and adherence to data protection laws

All information transfers within the EEA follow VBD' strict Information Transfer Policy, which can be requested from Section 11 ("Additional Information") of this policy.

Section 10: Right to Complaint

Making a Complaint

We take all complaints regarding our collection and use of personal information seriously. If you believe our practices are unfair, misleading, or inappropriate, or if you have any other data processing concerns, please raise them with us first.

How to File a Complaint

• Email: contactus@vbd.co.uk

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

You can also lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator. Here's how to contact them:

• By Post:
  • Information Commissioner's Office
  • Wycliffe House
  • Water Lane
  • Wilmslow
  • Cheshire
• Website: Information Commissioner's Office
• Email: (link provided in the policy)
• Phone:
  • 0303 123 1113 (Local rate)
  • 01625 545 745 (National rate)

Section 11: Additional Information

Open Communication

We value your trust and are always available to answer your questions about how we process your data. If you have any questions beyond the scope of this privacy policy or want more details on a specific topic, please email us at contactus@vbd.co.uk.

Section 12: Review of this Policy

Regular Updates

We regularly review and update this privacy policy. The latest update was made on February 23, 2023.

Policy Amendments

We may update this policy by publishing a new version on our website. Please check this page periodically to ensure you're aware of any changes. We will also notify you of changes via email.