'Cookies' are small pieces of information sent by a web server to a web browser, which enables the server to collect information from the browser. Essentially it takes the form of a small text file deposited on your computer's hard drive.

Our website uses Google Analytics, a service provided by Google, Inc that uses cookies to help the website analyse how users use this site. The cookie will generate information about your use of the website, and this along with your IP address will be stored on servers in the United States by Google, Inc. This information is retained for the purposes of evaluating and compiling reports on website activity and for other services relating to internet usage. This information may be transferred to third parties by Google, Inc where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on their behalf. Your IP address will not be associated with any other data held by Google, Inc.

Certain facilities on our site (for example, order forms) may also use cookies to help us process your order or feedback. These cookies are not saved and are deleted once the process is complete.

If you want to prevent our cookies being stored on your computer in future, you may do so by referring to your internet browser's instructions. You can do this by clicking on the 'Help' menu. Please note however that if you disable our cookies you may not be able to access certain services or facilities on our sites and your use of our sites may be restricted.

Further information on deleting or controlling cookies is available at www.AboutCookies.org.

BTF privacy policy

This privacy policy sets out how the British Thyroid Foundation uses and protects any information that you give the British Thyroid Foundation

The British Thyroid Foundation is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified, such as membership, or service providers you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

If you provide information when getting in touch with us, about for example your details in a medical query, we will not ask for any other unnecessary personal information, and your question and reply will be temporarily stored securely in the BTF files.

The British Thyroid Foundation may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from March 2024.

The type of personal information we collect 

We currently collect and process the following information:

• names, contact details (email/postal address and telephone number), date of birth
• type of thyroid disorder you have or are interested in and other medical information
• bank details 
• We will occasionally collect information using a survey tool and if we do this the service provider’s own privacy policy will apply 

If we collect any other necessary information for campaigns, projects or fundraising events, we will always seek your permission before doing so. 

How we get the personal information and why we have it

Most of the personal information we process is provided to us directly by you in connection with the work, aims and objectives of the BTF. In particular it helps us to:

• collect details from and manage internal record keeping for people who wish to join our membership or supporters’ database
• understand your needs and provide a service to suit your requirements
• gather information as part of our medical query answering service
• provide the statistics needed to help with research projects 
• understand more about the experience of living with a thyroid disorder from people who choose to share their story with us
• provide information or goods you have asked for

 We may share this information with the medical advisors and researchers we work with from time to time with your consent. 

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the lawful bases we rely on for processing this information are that you consent to it. You are able to remove your consent at any time. You can do this by contacting [email protected]

How we store your personal information 

Your information is securely stored. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and outsourced managerial services to safeguard and secure it.

We keep membership and supporter information on a secure database and IT system until you cancel your membership or request that you no longer wish to receive communications from us. Your details will be removed from our database.  If you share your details with us via email as part of our medical query answering service, we will retain the information for up to 12 months. We will then dispose of your information by systematically deleting it from our inbox and removing from our secure electronic files. If you provide personal details when using our online ordering service, your details will be destroyed once the order has been processed. 

There is an option to ‘unsubscribe’ from receiving our e-bulletins. Your data will then be removed from the supporter's or membership database. 

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over other websites. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

Controlling your personal information

You may choose to restrict the collection or use of your personal information in the following ways:

• whenever you are asked to fill in a form that you have either downloaded from the website or filled in online, you can click to indicate that you want the British Thyroid Foundation to contact you. If the box remains unticked we will not contact you.
• if you have previously agreed to us contacting you, you may change your mind at any time by writing to or emailing us at [email protected]

We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to a third party. If you have opted in to agreeing to the BTF contacting you, we may use your personal information to send you BTF information, or surveys which we think you may find interesting.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have rights including:

• Your right of access: you can ask us for copies of your personal information. 
• Your right to rectification: you can ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You can also ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.
• Your right to erasure: you can ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Your right to restriction of processing: you can ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances. 
• Your right to data portability: you can ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.

If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to or email us as soon as possible, at the above address. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you and will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. 

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us at [email protected].

You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

ICO website: www.ico.org.uk