Privacy Notice

We process your personal data — including your name, contact details, prescribed medicines, and any information relating to the healthcare services we provide (such as pharmacy medicines, medicine use reviews, flu vaccinations, and stop smoking services) — for the following purposes:

  • Your care – To provide pharmacy services and care to you, and to share relevant information with your GP and other appropriate healthcare professionals within the NHS when necessary.

  • Payments – To enable payment for NHS services, we may share limited information with the NHS Business Services Authority, other NHS bodies, and occasionally Local Authorities. In some cases, limited data is also shared with authorised third parties who validate the accuracy of our claims.

  • Management and audit – To support quality assurance and compliance, we may share limited information with the NHS Business Services Authority, Local Authorities, and approved organisations outside the NHS who monitor service standards and verify information we are required to declare.

We retain your information for as long as advised under NHS guidance. You have the right to request a copy of your information, usually free of charge, and to request corrections if you believe any information is inaccurate.

We process your data under the lawful basis of performing a task in the public interest, specifically for the provision and management of healthcare and treatment. A pharmacist is responsible for safeguarding the confidentiality of your information.

You have the right to object to us holding or using your data. You also have the right to raise concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office:
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

You may also choose to opt out of your NHS data being used for planning and research purposes — please ask us for details.

Our Information Governance Lead is Alison Sparkes, Director.

 

Freedom of Information (FOI) Publication Scheme

Introduction

This publication scheme is a guide to the information routinely made available by The Health Dispensary under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. It is based on the model scheme developed by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for healthcare providers including community pharmacies.

We are committed to transparency and regularly publish information about who we are, what we do, and how we work.

1. Who we are and what we do

  • Name of organisation: The Health Dispensary
  • Address: 153 Windsor Rd, Neath SA11 1NU and t/a Neath Pharmacy 32 Orchard St, Neath SA11 1HA
  • Contact details: https://www.thehealthdispensary.co.uk/about-us/contact/
  • Opening hours: https://www.thehealthdispensary.co.uk/about-us/contact/
  • Pharmacist in charge: Alison L. Sparkes 2029983 GPhC
  • Company registration number: 03982975 England & Wales
  • GPhC registration: 1089024 (Windsor Rd) 1043794 (Orchard St)

2. What we spend and how we spend it

We are a privately-owned pharmacy but do receive funding for NHS services.

  • NHS income is received based on dispensing volume and provision of commissioned services (e.g. flu vaccinations, prescribing).
  • We do not publish detailed financial accounts as we are not a public body.
  • Any funding received from the NHS is in line with national frameworks.

3. What our priorities are and how we are doing

  • We aim to provide high-quality NHS and private healthcare services to the Neath community.
  • Regular audits, staff training, and service reviews are conducted to improve quality.
  • We comply with NHS and GPhC standards.
  • Patient satisfaction surveys are available on request.

4. How we make decisions

  • Service development and changes are made by our senior team in line with NHS priorities and community needs.
  • We consult with patients and team members where appropriate.
  • Formal complaints and patient feedback are reviewed regularly to guide improvements.

5. Our policies and procedures

The following are available on request or visible in-store:

  • Complaints policy
  • Confidentiality and data protection
  • Health and safety policy
  • Equality and diversity statement
  • Safeguarding policy
  • Information governance policy

6. Lists and registers

  • GPhC Inspection reports (available via GPhC website)
  • Data protection registration (available via ICO)
  • NHS contract information (summary available on request)

7. The services we offer

We provide a range of NHS and private services including:

  • Dispensing of NHS and private prescriptions
  • Health advice and support
  • Weight loss prescribing
  • Flu and travel vaccinations
  • Ear health services
  • Vitamin B12 injections
  • Acupuncture and wellness consultations
  • 24/7 prescription collection points
  • Electronic prescription service (EPS)

For more details, visit www.thehealthdispensary.co.uk/services

Charges for Information

Most of the information we provide is available free of charge. Where a fee applies (e.g. for copying documents), we will inform you before proceeding.

Requesting Information

To request information not published here, please contact:

FOI Lead
The Health Dispensary
Email: manager@healthdispensary.co.uk
Phone: 01639 500000

Please note that requests must be made in writing. Some information may be exempt under the Act.

Review

This publication scheme will be reviewed regularly and updated as needed.