What makes an advanced eye exam different?

An advanced eye exam goes far beyond the basic sight test. At Buchanan Optometrists, you benefit from hospital-grade technology like 4D OCT retinal scans and ultra-widefield imaging, which can detect signs of eye disease up to 5 years earlier. Your 60-minute appointment allows time for in-depth assessment, personalised advice, and a complete understanding of your eye health—not just a new prescription.

How often should you have your eyes tested?

Most people should have an eye exam every two years. However, if you're over 60, have diabetes, a family history of glaucoma, or wear contact lenses, more frequent tests may be recommended. Regular advanced exams can detect silent conditions early and help preserve your vision for life.

What are the early signs of glaucoma or macular degeneration?

Early signs of glaucoma may include loss of peripheral vision or changes in eye pressure, often without symptoms. Macular degeneration may cause blurred or distorted central vision and difficulty reading. Because these signs can be subtle, advanced scans at Buchanan Optometrists help detect issues before you notice symptoms.

Privacy & Cookies

Privacy Policy

Last Updated: [Insert Date]

1. Who We Are

We are Buchanan Optometrists Ltd, an independent opticians based in Kent, UK. We are the data controller responsible for the personal information we process.

Company details:
Buchanan Optometrists Ltd
Buchanan House
56 Malling Road
Snodland
Kent ME6 5NB

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01634 240645

2. What Personal Data We Collect

Identity Data: name, title, date of birth
Contact Data: address, email, telephone number
Health and Clinical Data: visual health, appointment notes, prescriptions (for patients only)
Marketing Data: communication preferences, marketing history
Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device identifiers, location (via our website)
Third-Party Sourced Data: name, address, and demographic category (e.g. household type, interest category)

3. How We Use Your Data

Provide eye care and related healthcare services
Manage appointments, recalls, and customer service
Fulfil purchases of products or services
Send marketing by post or email (where lawful)
Improve our website, customer experience, and service relevance

4. Marketing and Third-Party Data Sources

If you are not an existing customer and receive marketing from us, your data may have been sourced from carefully vetted third-party providers (e.g. GDPR-compliant data brokers).

The data was lawfully obtained under consent or legitimate interest
You were told your data may be shared for marketing purposes
We only use it for relevant, non-intrusive postal communications
We suppress your data promptly upon request

We do not name providers publicly, but will provide details on request. You can opt out at any time using the contact methods above.

5. Our Legal Bases for Processing

Activity	Legal Basis
Booking and providing services	Contract performance (Art. 6(1)(b))
Email marketing (where opted in)	Consent (Art. 6(1)(a))
Postal marketing to non-customers	Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f))
Segmentation/profiling for relevance	Legitimate interest

We have completed a legitimate interest balancing test, available on request.

6. Profiling and Segmentation

We may use basic segmentation techniques (e.g. by postcode or life stage) to tailor communications. This helps us improve relevance and reduce unwanted messages.

We do not use any automated decision-making with legal or significant effects.

7. Cookies and Tracking

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit our website. They help us:

Enable essential site features
Analyse how the site is used and improve performance
Show relevant ads via third-party platforms (e.g. Google, Facebook) — but only with your consent

We do not set non-essential cookies until you give us permission via the cookie banner. You can change or withdraw consent at any time via the banner or cookie settings icon.

8. Sharing Your Data

We may share your data with:

Practice management and CRM systems
Optical laboratories and product providers
Cloud-hosted email and infrastructure platforms
Auditors, legal advisers, and regulators where required

All third parties operate under contract and comply with data protection law.

9. International Data Transfers

Some systems may process data outside the UK. We ensure protection through:

UK adequacy regulations, or
ICO-approved Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)

10. How Long We Keep Your Data

Type of Data	Retention Period
Patient records	10 years from last contact, or until age 25 if under 18
Third-party marketing data	3 months maximum unless renewed
Public or soft opt-in marketing	18 months maximum
Suppression (opt-out) records	Indefinitely

11. Your Data Protection Rights

You have the right to:

Access the data we hold
Correct inaccurate data
Request deletion (where lawful)
Object to direct marketing
Restrict processing under certain conditions
Withdraw consent at any time
Complain to the UK ICO at ico.org.uk

We aim to respond within 7 days. Contact: [email protected]

12. Third-Party Data Sources

You can request to know the source of any third-party data we use
We will stop using your data if you object
Suppression files are updated at least monthly

13. Changes to This Policy

This privacy notice may be updated periodically. The latest version will always be published at: