GDPR Compliant

Privacy Policy

We are committed to protecting the privacy and security of the sensitive data entrusted to us. This policy outlines how Medical Expert Chambers collects, uses, and safeguards your information.

Last Updated: March 2025

1. Introduction

Medical Expert Chambers Ltd (“MEC”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This privacy policy will inform you as to how we look after your personal data when you visit our website (regardless of where you visit it from) or engage our services, and tell you about your privacy rights and how the law protects you.

We act as a Data Controller regarding the recruitment of experts and the management of our website. In the context of providing medico-legal reports, we primarily act as a Data Processor on behalf of instructing solicitors (the Data Controllers), although we hold Controller responsibilities for our own administrative records.

2. The Data We Collect

We may collect, use, store and transfer different kinds of personal data about you which we have grouped together follows:

  • Identity Data: First name, maiden name, last name, username or similar identifier, marital status, title, date of birth and gender.
  • Contact Data: Billing address, delivery address, email address and telephone numbers.
  • Professional Data (Experts): GMC/HCPC registration numbers, CVs, qualifications, insurance details, and banking information.
  • Case Data (Claimants/Clients): Medical records, incident details, court documents, and other sensitive information required for the production of a medico-legal report.
Special Category Data: In the course of our services, we process “Special Category Data” (health data, genetic data) and data relating to criminal convictions. We do so strictly in accordance with Article 9(2)(f) of the GDPR (processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims).

3. How We Use Your Data

We will only use your personal data when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we will use your personal data in the following circumstances:

Performance of Contract

To process instructions from solicitors, arrange appointments, and deliver expert reports.

Legal Obligation

To comply with a legal or regulatory obligation (e.g., HMRC, Court Orders).

Legitimate Interests

To manage our business, vet experts, and prevent fraud, ensuring our interests do not override your rights.

Establishment of Legal Claims

Processing sensitive health data specifically for the purpose of legal proceedings.

4. Data Sharing & Transfers

We may have to share your personal data with the parties set out below for the purposes set out in this policy:

  • Instructing Experts: The specific medical expert(s) nominated to report on a case.
  • Legal Representatives: Solicitors and Barristers involved in the litigation.
  • Courts & Tribunals: When required by court order or procedural rules.
  • Service Providers: IT and system administration services acting as processors who support our case management systems (all subject to strict confidentiality agreements).

We do not allow our third-party service providers to use your personal data for their own purposes and only permit them to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.

5. Data Security

We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed.

  • All data is stored on secure, encrypted servers within the UK/EEA.
  • Medical records are transferred via secure, password-protected channels (e.g., Egress, encrypted portals).
  • Access to personal data is limited to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know.
  • We have procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and the ICO of a breach where we are legally required to do so.

6. Data Retention

We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

By law, we have to keep basic information about our customers (including Contact, Identity, Financial and Transaction Data) for six years after they cease being customers for tax purposes. Medico-legal reports and associated notes are generally retained for 7 years post-conclusion of the case to cover the limitation period for professional negligence claims, after which they are securely destroyed.

7. Your Legal Rights

Under certain circumstances, you have rights under data protection laws in relation to your personal data:

Request access
Receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Request correction
Correct any incomplete or inaccurate data we hold about you.
Request erasure
Ask us to delete or remove personal data where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it.
Object to processing
Where we are relying on a legitimate interest and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or our privacy practices, please contact our Data Protection Officer (DPO).

Full Name of Legal Entity: Medical Expert Chambers Ltd

Email address: dpo@medicalexpertchambers.co.uk

Postal address: Abacus Court, Harborne, Birmingham B17 0HH

Telephone: 0121 752 6065