Privacy Policy

How we use your information

Privacy Notice

September 2025

The British Orthodontic Society (BOS) is the ‘data controller’ of the personal information we hold for the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (the UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (the Data Protection Act).

The BOS is a company limited by guarantee under company number 03695486 whose registered office is at Royal College Of Surgeons, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, England, WC2A 3PE and is a charity registered in England and Wales under charity number 1073464.

We collect, use and share your data primarily to provide services to you as our member in line with our charitable purposes. The basic personal information we may ask for, or you may choose to give us, includes your name, user type (e.g. specialist orthodontist, training grades etc), your GDC number, bank details, your address, email address, phone number and work details / address. We may retain details of any enquiry you make to us and records of any correspondence with us.

The purposes for which we use your information and the legal basis under data protection laws on which we rely to do this are explained below.

Where there is a Legitimate Interest

We may use and process your personal information where it is necessary for us to pursue our legitimate interests as a charity or those of a third party, for the following purposes:

• to inform the work of the BOS as a charity and membership body and to provide services to our members;
• to ensure proper governance of the BOS, to validate and maintain our membership register, (to include membership of our groups / committees) and to ensure eligibility for, for example, the right to vote in group elections or at the AGM;
• to verify the accuracy of data that we hold about you;
• to deal with enquiries or queries by telephone, post or email with you;
• to create a better understanding of you as a member of the BOS and a user of our products, training and services so we can customise the services we provide;
• to correspond or communicate with you as a member of the BOS, to let you know about our activities and to enhance and personalise your membership (including to send you newsletters or other support content based on the interests you indicate to us, your stated practice areas and/or location, and to improve the services we offer you on our website)
• to enable us to carry out requests made by you e.g. to attend our events, training courses or education days
• to raise awareness of services offered
• to conduct research and to compile management information;
• for the management of queries, complaints, or claims;

To carry out marketing

• for marketing and advertising activities (other than where we rely on your consent to contact you by email or text with information about our products and services or share your details with third parties to do the same)

• for analysis to inform our marketing strategy, and to enhance and personalise your member experience

To fulfil online delivery and security

• to ensure that our online content is presented in the most effective manner for you and your computer;
• to allow you to participate in interactive features of our services, when you choose to do so;
• for network and information security in order for us to take steps to protect your information against loss or damage, theft or unauthorised access;
• for prevention of fraud and other criminal activities;

Other

• to assess and improve our service
• operating and managing contracts with our suppliers and service recipients; and
• for the establishment and defence of our legal rights

Where there is a Legal Requirement

We will use your personal information to comply with our legal obligations: (i) to assist any public authority or criminal investigation body as required; (ii) to identify you when you contact us; (iii) to verify the accuracy of data we hold about you; and/or (iv) to help us comply with equalities legislation in our recruitment practices; and/or (v) to comply with a request from you in connection with the exercise of your rights.

Where you have consented

We may use and process your personal information where you have consented for us to do so for the following purposes:

For marketing activities, in order to contact you by email or text with marketing information about our products and services, including member benefits provided by others (except where we may rely on Legitimate Interests as described above); or to share your details with our recommended third party partners for them to do the same. You may withdraw your consent for us to use your information in any of these ways at any time by emailing the BOS Secretary.

Marketing

We may collect and process your preferences to receive marketing information directly from us by email and text in the following ways:

• If you are a BOS member we may contact you with marketing information about our member products and services, except where you indicate you would prefer otherwise;
• If you place an order with us for a service or product e.g. training, we may contact you with marketing information in the ways mentioned in the notices presented to you as part of that transaction, except where you indicate you would prefer otherwise.

From time to time, we may ask you to refresh your marketing preferences by asking you to confirm that you want to continue receiving marketing information from us.

We may contact you with marketing information by post and telephone by using your personal information or with targeted advertising delivered online through social media and platforms operated by other companies using their profiling tools, or use your personal information to tailor marketing to improve its relevance to you, unless you object.

Third Party Marketing

We will only share your information with our third party partners for them to contact you directly with marketing information about their products and services where you have indicated to us that you would like us to do so.

Once shared, the relevant third party’s privacy policy will apply to their processing of your personal information, not ours. If you’d like to opt out of receiving marketing from a third party after providing your consent, you can do so at any time by contacting the relevant third party directly.

You can amend your marketing preferences, at any time by notifying us by email

 Complaining to the UK data protection regulator

We believe we will be able to resolve all your concerns, and we hope that we can do so. Where we haven’t been able to do this, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you are concerned about the way we have processed your personal information. Please visit the ICO’s website for further details: https://ico.org.uk.

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