P R I V A C Y P O L I C Y

Privacy Policy

Effective date: 09 September 2026

fmperio.co.uk (the “Site”) is owned and operated by Dr Fergus Machin (“we”, “us” or “our”).

Dr Fergus Machin is the data controller for personal data processed through this Site and can be contacted at:

Email: fergusmachin@gmail.com

Telephone: 07817 378343

1. Purpose of This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains:

what personal data we collect;

how and why we use it;

the legal bases we rely on to process it;

how long we retain it;

who we may share it with;

your rights under UK data protection law; and

how to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

This Privacy Policy applies to personal data processed through fmperio.co.uk and in connection with enquiries and communications made through the Site.

2. UK GDPR Compliance

We process personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (“UK GDPR”) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) under registration reference ZC230610.

We are not required to appoint a Data Protection Officer under Article 37 of the UK GDPR.

3. Legal Bases for Processing

We rely on the following legal bases under Article 6 of the UK GDPR.

Legitimate interests

We may process personal data where this is necessary for our legitimate interests, including:

operating and maintaining a professional dental website;

responding to enquiries;

communicating with dental professionals about professional enquiries and case discussions;

managing professional relationships and correspondence;

maintaining website security and functionality; and

monitoring general website performance.

We will only rely on legitimate interests where the processing is necessary and our interests are not overridden by your fundamental rights and freedoms.

Where referring clinicians contact us about a case, we ask that patient information is anonymised and that identifiable patient information is not submitted through general website contact forms.

Consent

We rely on consent where you choose to subscribe to our mailing list.

You may withdraw your consent to receive marketing emails at any time by using the unsubscribe facility in an email or by contacting us.

4. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

A. Website Analytics and Technical Information

Our hosting provider, Hostinger Website Builder, provides us with aggregate website analytics.

This may include:

number of website sessions;

number of unique visitors;

visitor country; and

device type, such as desktop or mobile.

We use this information to understand general website usage, monitor website performance, and maintain the security and functionality of the Site.

The analytics available to us are provided in aggregate form and are not used by us to identify individual visitors.

We do not use Google Analytics, Meta Pixel or similar advertising or behavioural tracking services.

B. Contact Forms and Direct Email

If you contact us through a website contact form or directly by email, we may collect:

your name;

your email address;

your telephone number, if provided;

your professional details, where relevant; and

any information you choose to include in your message.

This may include correspondence relating to:

general professional enquiries;

second-opinion enquiries;

professional case discussions;

clinical collaboration; and

Lunch & Learn or educational event enquiries.

We use this information to respond to your enquiry and manage the relevant professional communication.

Please do not include identifiable patient information in website contact forms. Clinical information should be anonymised. If identifiable patient information is required, it should only be shared through an appropriate secure channel.

Where patient records are held and processed by a dental practice at which Dr Fergus Machin provides treatment, those records are controlled by the relevant dental practice and are not held independently by FM Perio through this Site.

C. Mailing List Subscriptions

If you choose to subscribe to our mailing list, we may collect:

your name, if provided; and

your email address.

This information is used to send occasional professional updates, including information about courses, events and professional periodontal updates, where you have consented to receive these communications.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us.

We do not sell or trade mailing-list information.

D. Testimonials

If you provide a testimonial and agree to its publication on our Site, we may process the information included in the testimonial, such as your name and testimonial content.

We rely on your consent to publish testimonials. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us. Where appropriate, we will remove the testimonial from the Site following withdrawal of consent, subject to any information we may need to retain to evidence the consent previously given.

E. Event Registration and Attendance

If you register for an event or educational activity organised by or through FM Perio, we may collect:

your name;

your email address; and

relevant professional details.

We use this information to administer the event, communicate with attendees and provide information relevant to the event.

Where necessary, limited information may be shared with organisations or venues involved in delivering the event, solely for the purposes of event administration and delivery.

5. Google Maps

Our Site includes embedded Google Maps to help visitors locate the dental practices at which Dr Fergus Machin provides services.

When you view a page containing an embedded Google Map, Google may process technical information relating to your visit and use of the map. This may include information such as your IP address, device information and information relating to your use of Google Maps.

Google may use cookies or similar technologies in connection with its services.

Google processes information in accordance with its own privacy policies. Further information is available in the Google Privacy Policy.

We use Google Maps to provide useful location information to visitors and rely on our legitimate interests in providing and maintaining the Site for this purpose. We do not control the information collected or used by Google through its embedded Maps service.

6. Google Drive and Embedded Documents

Some PDF documents and resources on our Site are hosted and displayed using Google Drive or Google's document-viewing services.

When you view an embedded document, Google may process technical information relating to your visit, such as your IP address, device and browser information, and information relating to your use of the service. Google may also use cookies or similar technologies in connection with its services.

Where available, you may choose to download a document through Google Drive.

Google processes information in accordance with its own privacy policies. Further information is available in the Google Privacy Policy.

We use these services to provide documents and resources to visitors and rely on our legitimate interests in providing and maintaining the Site for this purpose. We do not control the information collected or used by Google through its document-viewing services.

7. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our Site uses cookies and similar technologies that may be necessary for the Site to operate, provide requested functionality, maintain security and remember relevant preferences.

We do not currently use advertising, marketing, behavioural tracking or third-party analytics cookies that require visitor consent.

We use a cookie consent mechanism to allow visitors to manage optional cookies or similar technologies where applicable, including those that may be associated with third-party services.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Some cookies or similar technologies may be necessary for the Site to function properly, provide requested functionality or maintain security. These do not require consent where they fall within the applicable exemption for strictly necessary technologies.

Platform Analytics

Hostinger Website Builder provides aggregate website analytics, which may include information such as website sessions, visitor numbers, visitor country and device type.

Based on our current assessment, these analytics do not involve non-essential cookies requiring visitor consent.

We do not use Google Analytics, Meta Pixel or similar advertising or behavioural tracking services.

Google Maps and Third-Party Technologies

Google Maps is a third-party service embedded on the Site. When Google Maps content is loaded, Google may process technical information and may use cookies or similar technologies.

We do not control the technologies used by Google through its embedded Maps service. Further information about Google's processing is available in Google's own privacy information.

The use of third-party cookies or similar technologies may change over time. If this occurs, we will review and update our cookie arrangements and this Privacy Policy where necessary.

8. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data only where necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including:

responding to enquiries;

professional communication and collaboration;

managing professional relationships;

sending mailing-list communications where consent has been provided;

administering educational events and activities;

operating and maintaining the Site;

monitoring general website performance;

maintaining website security and functionality; and

complying with legal obligations where applicable.

We do not use personal data for automated decision-making or profiling.

9. Who We Share Personal Data With

We do not sell or trade personal data.

Where necessary, we may share personal data with:

our website hosting provider, Hostinger;

our email or mailing-list service provider;

organisations or venues involved in delivering an event, where necessary;

service providers who process information on our behalf; and

public authorities or other organisations where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect our legal rights.

Where third-party organisations process personal data on our behalf, we take appropriate steps to ensure that they process the information securely and in accordance with applicable data protection law.

Google may also process information independently when you use the embedded Google Maps service, as described in section 5.

10. International Transfers

Some third-party service providers may process personal data outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that any transfer is made in accordance with applicable UK data protection law and that appropriate safeguards are in place where required.

11. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.

Our general retention periods are:

Website enquiries: normally up to 12 months after the enquiry has been dealt with;

Professional correspondence: for as long as reasonably necessary for the relevant professional relationship or record-keeping requirements;

Mailing-list information: until you unsubscribe or withdraw your consent;

Event registration information: for as long as reasonably necessary to administer the event and maintain appropriate records.

We may retain information for longer where this is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, establish or defend legal claims, or otherwise protect our legitimate interests.

12. How We Protect Your Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

These measures include, where appropriate:

HTTPS encryption;

secure hosting;

password protection;

two-factor authentication;

restricted access controls; and

appropriate security measures for the systems used to process personal data.

No method of transmitting or storing information online can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect the information we hold.

13. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

Depending on the circumstances, you have rights under UK data protection law including:

the right to be informed about how your personal data is used;

the right to access your personal data;

the right to have inaccurate personal data corrected;

the right to have personal data erased in certain circumstances;

the right to restrict processing in certain circumstances;

the right to object to processing in certain circumstances, including processing based on legitimate interests;

the right to data portability where applicable; and

the right to withdraw consent where we rely on consent as our lawful basis.

You can exercise your rights by contacting us using the details provided at the beginning of this Privacy Policy.

We will normally respond to a valid request within one month, subject to any applicable legal extensions or exemptions.

14. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we use your personal data, please contact us first so that we have an opportunity to address your concern.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data protection regulator.

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, website functionality, legal requirements or how we process personal data.

The effective date at the beginning of this Privacy Policy will be updated when material changes are made.