UKIEUS PRIVACY NOTICE

UK & Ireland Endoscopic Ultrasound Society

Effective date: [18th May 2026]

This notice explains what personal data UKIEUS collects from members and newsletter subscribers, how it is used, and the rights you have over it. It is written in plain English. If anything is unclear, please contact us using the details at the end.

1. Who we are

The UK & Ireland Endoscopic Ultrasound Society (UKIEUS) is an informal educational society founded in 1998 for clinicians involved in endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in the UK and Ireland.

UKIEUS is the data controller for personal data collected through ukieus.co.uk and its educational newsletter, EUS & ERCP Monthly. Day-to-day data handling is administered by the Education & Media Lead, Dr Venkat Mahesh.

2. What personal data we collect

We collect only the minimum data needed to run the society and its educational outputs:

  • Newsletter subscribers: name and email address, provided by you when you subscribe.
  • Website contact form: name, email, and the content of your enquiry.
  • Event attendees (where applicable): name, professional role, institution, and email address, plus any dietary or accessibility requirements you choose to share.
  • Technical data from the website (cookies, IP address): standard WordPress and analytics data, used only to keep the site functioning and to understand broad usage patterns. No tracking cookies are used for advertising.

We do not collect special category data (health, religion, ethnicity, etc.) and we never ask for financial information through the website.

3. How we use your data

Your data is used only for the purpose for which you provided it:

  • To send you the monthly EUS & ERCP educational newsletter and mid-month quiz, if you subscribed.
  • To respond to enquiries you send us.
  • To administer society events you have signed up for.
  • To keep aggregate, non-identifying statistics on newsletter open rates and website use, so we can improve what we offer.

We do not use your data for advertising and we do not profile you. We do not make automated decisions that affect you.

4. Our lawful basis under UK GDPR

We rely on the following lawful bases:

  • Consent (Article 6(1)(a)): for the educational newsletter. You opted in when you subscribed, and you can withdraw consent at any time using the unsubscribe link in every newsletter.
  • Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)): for responding to enquiries and administering events you have signed up for. Our interest is in running the society educationally and responsibly; the processing is limited to what you would reasonably expect.
  • Legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c)): where we are required by law (e.g. to retain records for tax or regulatory purposes, if applicable).

5. Who we share data with

We share your data only with service providers who help us run the society, and only as needed to do so:

  • Our website host and email-sending platform (MailPoet and our domain hosting provider) — for delivering the newsletter and running ukieus.co.uk.
  • Google Forms and Google Sheets — used to log unsubscribe requests so we can act on them promptly.
  • Our website developer, Maylancer Techios, where access is needed for technical work on the site.

We do not sell your data. We do not share your data with advertisers. We do not transfer your data outside the UK or European Economic Area except where these standard service providers operate (most are headquartered in the EU, UK, or USA under approved transfer mechanisms).

6. How long we keep your data

  • Newsletter subscribers: until you unsubscribe, then your email is removed from the active list within 7 days. A record that the address unsubscribed is retained so we don’t accidentally re-add you.
  • Enquiries: kept for up to 24 months after the matter is resolved, then deleted.
  • Event records: kept for up to 24 months after the event, for educational continuity and record-keeping.

7. Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

  • Be told what data we hold about you (right of access).
  • Correct inaccurate data (right to rectification).
  • Have your data deleted (right to erasure) — you can do this immediately for newsletter subscriptions using the unsubscribe link.
  • Restrict or object to processing.
  • Withdraw consent at any time, where consent is our basis.
  • Complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk if you believe we have mishandled your data.

8. Security

We protect your data with reasonable technical and organisational measures: HTTPS on the website, password-protected administration accounts, and access limited to those who need it. No system is perfectly secure, but we take this responsibility seriously and will notify you and the ICO of any breach affecting your data, as required by law.

9. Cookies

Our website uses essential cookies needed for it to function. We do not use third-party advertising or social-media tracking cookies. If you visit pages embedding YouTube videos or similar content, those providers may set their own cookies; please refer to their privacy notices.

10. Changes to this notice

We may update this notice from time to time. The current version is always available at ukieus.co.uk/privacy. Material changes will be flagged at the top of the page and announced in a newsletter.

11. Contact

For any data-protection question or to exercise any of your rights, please contact:

Dr Venkat Mahesh

Education & Media Lead, UKIEUS

Email: [email protected]

(or via the contact form at ukieus.co.uk/contact)

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF

Helpline: 0303 123 1113 — ico.org.uk

UKIEUS — UK & Ireland Endoscopic Ultrasound Society — ukieus.co.uk