This notice explains what personal information West-Med collects, through this website and when you contact or visit us, why we collect it, who we share it with, and your rights under the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA). If anything here is unclear, please contact our Information Officer.
Who we are
West-Med is the trading name of Dr E Scott Incorporated (registration number 2024/120648/21, practice number 1195891). We are the responsible party for the personal information described in this notice, which means we decide how and why it is used.
We run three medical centres:
- The Sanctuary, Somerset West: Shop F14A, First Floor, The Sanctuary Shopping Centre, Cnr De Beers Ave & Broadway Blvd (R44), Somerset West, 7130
- Majik Forest, Bellville: Ground Floor, Majik Forest Shopping Centre, Van Riebeeckshof Rd, Van Riebeeckshof, Bellville, 7530
- Die Boord, Stellenbosch: 4 Saffraan St, Die Boord, Stellenbosch, 7613
Our Information Officer
Christopher Steven is our Information Officer and deals with every privacy question, request and complaint.
Christopher Steven, Information Officer
- Reception@West-Med.co.za, marked “For the attention of the Information Officer”
- 021 490 4380
What we collect
When you send an enquiry
Your name, email address, phone number, the branch and service you are interested in, and your message. Please do not include medical details in an enquiry. If it is about your health, call us instead.
When you request an IUD authorisation
Your name, ID or passport number, date of birth, contact details, home address, employer, next of kin, the IUD you want and your medical scheme details, so that we can get the procedure authorised by your scheme.
When a doctor refers you to us
Your doctor sends us your name, ID or passport number, date of birth, contact details, the IUD requested, the ICD-10 codes for the procedure and the reason for it, and your medical scheme details, along with their own name, practice number and email address. In this case the information comes from your doctor, not from you.
When you apply for a job
Your CV and anything else you send by email to hr@west-med.co.za.
When you call, WhatsApp or email us
Your phone number or email address, and whatever you choose to tell us.
When you are our patient
What we need to care for you: your identity and contact details, medical history, consultation notes, test results, and medical scheme and billing details. Information about your health is special personal information under POPIA, and we treat it that way.
When you browse this website
Our hosting provider receives technical information such as your IP address and browser type, which it needs to deliver pages and protect the site. Analytics and advertising cookies are only used if you accept them. See Cookies and tracking.
Why we use it
- To reply to your enquiry and book appointments.
- To provide medical and dental care, keep your records, and refer you to other providers when you need it.
- To get authorisation from, and submit claims to, your medical scheme.
- To consider job applications.
- To keep the website working and secure.
- If you accept cookies, to understand how the website is used and to measure and improve our advertising.
We process health information because we are healthcare providers and it is necessary for your treatment and care, as section 32 of POPIA allows. Everyone who handles it is bound by professional or contractual confidentiality.
Do you have to give it to us?
Giving us your information is voluntary, but we need some of it to help you. Without your contact details we cannot reply to an enquiry, and without your ID and medical scheme details we cannot get an authorisation or submit a claim for you.
Cookies are entirely optional. The website works exactly the same whether you accept or decline them.
Laws that apply
The National Health Act 61 of 2003 and the Health Professions Act 56 of 1974, together with the ethical rules of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), require us to keep patient records and to keep them confidential.
Information processed outside South Africa
Some of our service providers process information outside South Africa, including in the United States and Europe. Vercel does, and so do Google, Microsoft, Meta and LinkedIn if you accept cookies. Our email provider, Microsoft, may also process email outside South Africa.
We only use providers that are bound by data protection laws or contract terms that give your information a level of protection comparable to POPIA, as section 72 of POPIA requires.
How long we keep it
- Website forms: the website itself stores nothing. Each form is delivered as an email to our inbox, and that email is the only copy. We keep enquiry emails only for as long as we need them to deal with your request and keep a record of our contact with you.
- Patient records: for as long as the law and the HPCSA require.
- Job applications: for as long as we need them for the recruitment process.
- Analytics and advertising data: kept by those providers under their own policies and our account settings.
How we protect it
Every connection to this website is encrypted. The website does not store form submissions and never writes their contents to its logs. We limit access to our inboxes and patient records to the staff who need it. If a security breach affects your personal information, we will tell you and the Information Regulator, as POPIA requires.
Children
We treat children as well as adults. Information about a child is usually given to us by a parent or guardian, and we process it with their consent or where it is needed for the child’s care.
Your rights
You have the right to:
- Ask whether we hold personal information about you, and ask for a copy of it.
- Ask us to correct or delete information that is wrong, out of date or no longer needed. We may have to keep medical records even if you ask us to delete them, because the law requires it.
- Object to us processing your information, and withdraw any consent you have given, such as for cookies.
- Not receive marketing you have not agreed to. We only send marketing by email, SMS or WhatsApp if you have said yes, and you can opt out at any time.
- Complain to the Information Regulator.
To use any of these rights, contact our Information Officer. We may need to confirm your identity before we act on a request.
Complaints
Please talk to us first so we can try to put things right. If you are not satisfied, you can complain to the Information Regulator:
- Website: inforegulator.org.za
- POPIA complaints: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za
- General enquiries: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
- Phone: 010 023 5200, or toll free 0800 017 160
- Address: Woodmead North Office Park, 54 Maxwell Drive, Woodmead, Johannesburg, 2191
Changes to this notice
We will update this notice whenever the way we handle personal information changes. The date at the top shows when it last changed.