Privacy Policy
Procare Dental Surgery (“the Practice”) operates a professional dental clinic in Pretoria, South Africa. As a medical facility, we are deeply committed to protecting our patients’ privacy, handling personal information responsibly, and maintaining absolute medical confidentiality.
1. Compliance with South African Law
Our data processing operations are strictly governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. This policy outlines our adherence to:
The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), No. 4 of 2013.
The National Health Act, No. 61 of 2003.
The ethical guidelines and rules prescribed by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
2. Information We Collect
To provide safe, optimal dental care and manage practice administration, we collect personal and special personal information, including:
Identity Data: Full names, South African ID numbers or passport numbers, and dates of birth.
Contact Data: Phone numbers, email addresses, and physical/postal addresses.
Medical & Health Data: Detailed clinical dental histories, charting, medical conditions, prescription histories, X-rays, and treatment plans.
Financial Data: Medical aid details, account billing histories, and payment processing records.
3. Purpose of Collection
Your information is processed exclusively for the following lawful reasons:
To diagnose, plan, and administer professional dental treatments.
To administer claims and process payments with medical schemes and financial institutions.
To communicate regarding appointment scheduling, confirmations, and follow-up care reminders.
To maintain institutional and statutory health records as legally demanded.
4. Medical Confidentiality & Legal Exceptions
All clinical and personal information remains strictly confidential under the doctor-patient privilege. However, in accordance with the National Health Act and South African law, personal information may be disclosed without prior consent only under the following necessary exceptions:
Statutory Duty: Where disclosure is commanded by a law, regulation, court order, or subpoena.
Public Health Risk: Where non-disclosure represents a critical, legitimate threat to public health.
Vital Interests: Where necessary to protect the life or physical safety of the patient or another individual, and obtaining consent is impossible.
5. Information Security
We implement robust, industry-standard organizational and technical safeguards (including encrypted digital dental storage networks and secured hard-copy files) to ensure personal data is protected against unauthorized access, loss, or alteration.
6. Your Data Rights
Under POPIA, patients retain the right to request access to their stored personal data, object to processing, or request corrections to inaccurate information. Please note that clinical record-keeping obligations dictated by the HPCSA may restrict the immediate erasure of historical medical files.
For inquiries or data queries regarding this privacy setup, please contact the Procare Dental Surgery Information Officer at our Pretoria clinic.