Confidentiality, Data Protection and Consent

Information you share with me will be stored securely and handled in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation, including the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. I use your information to provide clinical care and support.

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You have the right to request access to your personal information and to ask for inaccurate information to be corrected. In certain circumstances, you may also have the right to request that your information is erased.

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If you have a concern or complaint, please contact me in the first instance. You can also contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) or IBLCE, where relevant.

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I will not share your information without your consent unless there is a lawful basis to do so, including where sharing is necessary to safeguard you or your baby.

• Sharing information with your health visitor: On occasion, I may feel it is necessary to share relevant information with your health visitor to support your care or your baby's wellbeing. I will discuss this with you and inform you where appropriate, unless doing so could increase a risk to you or your baby or I am otherwise legally unable to do so.

• Seeking professional advice: With your permission, I may discuss aspects of your care with another IBCLC to seek additional ideas or information that may help support you. I will take care to protect your confidentiality.

• Virtual consultations: For confidentiality, virtual consultations must not be recorded by either party, in whole or in part.

• Breast/chest visibility during consultations: To assess feeding and provide appropriate support, I may ask to see your breast or chest, for example to assess nipple damage, breast tissue or your baby's latch. I will explain why this may be helpful, and you can discuss any concerns with me.

• Photographs and videos: You may send photographs or videos where these are relevant to your care. I will delete them after viewing, unless they need to be retained as part of your clinical record or for another lawful reason.  I will suggest you take photos or video's during in-person consultations, so you can build on this knowledge.

• Names and language: Please let me know your preferred name, pronouns and any language you would like me to use, such as chest feeding or human milk, where relevant.

• Tongue-tie/Restrictive Frenulum: I do not provide a formal tongue-tie diagnosis. If I have concerns about your baby's oral function or suspect a tongue-tie, I will recommend an appropriate assessment by a qualified tongue-tie practitioner

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WhatsApp Support

WhatsApp support is intended for questions, minor adjustments to your feeding plan, and sharing relevant photographs or videos during your agreed support period. Messages are answered between 8am and 8pm, seven days a week, but responses are not immediate.

WhatsApp support is not an emergency service and must not be used to seek urgent medical advice.

If you are concerned that your baby is unwell, please contact your GP, midwife, health visitor or baby's healthcare team, or call NHS 111 for advice. If your baby has signs of serious illness, such as difficulty breathing or being unusually unresponsive, call 999 or seek emergency medical care as appropriate.

If you have an urgent feeding concern that cannot wait for my response, please contact your midwife, health visitor, GP or baby's healthcare team.

Use of WhatsApp support is optional. Please be mindful that WhatsApp is a third-party messaging service when sharing personal information or images.

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You can find further information about the IBCLC scope of practice here:

https://iblce.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/scope-of-practice-2018.pdf

You can check my credentials on the IBLCE public registry:

https://iblce.org/public-registry/

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Payment and Cancellation

• Payment: Payment must be made within 48 hours of booking. If payment is not received within this period, I may cancel the booking.

• Confirmation: Your appointment is not confirmed until payment has been received. Until then, the appointment may remain available to other families.

• Cancellations with more than 24 hours' notice: You will receive a full refund.

• Cancellations with less than 24 hours' notice: A cancellation charge of 50% of the appointment fee will apply. If you have already paid, 50% of the fee will be refunded.

• Rescheduling: I may be able to rearrange your appointment, subject to availability. Any rearranged appointment must fit around existing bookings.