For UK private dental practices
Your patient records are a UK GDPR liability you haven't fixed yet
Dental practices handle special category health data, and legacy systems, paper records, and consumer cloud tools routinely fall short of ICO standards. A single subject access request can expose the gap.
Two minutes. Solva follows up with specific data protection remediation options.
- Inability to locate all patient records when a Subject Access Request (SAR) is made
- Storing patient data on unencrypted personal devices or consumer cloud services
- Failure to delete patient records after their statutory retention period
- Lack of a clear, documented process for handling data breaches or patient complaints
- Time and resources diverted to ICO investigation and compliance remediation
- Implementation of new, more stringent data management systems and processes
- Significant fines from ICO (up to £17.5 million)
- Increased insurance premiums for professional indemnity
- Erosion of patient trust and confidence
- Negative media coverage and public scrutiny
The health sector recorded the highest number of self-reported personal data breaches, with a total of 3,820 cases between 2023 and Q1 2025 (IT Brief, 2025)
Source: https://itbrief.co.uk/story/health-sector-tops-uk-self-reported-data-breaches-in-2023-2025
Frequently asked questions
Why does this problem persist?
Dental practices handle special category health data and are subject to UK GDPR. Many practices use legacy practice management systems, paper records, or consumer cloud storage in ways that don't meet GDPR requirements for security, retention, and subject access. The ICO has increased enforcement in healthcare, and a patient complaint about data handling is a common trigger for investigation.
What is the cost of leaving it unaddressed?
Serious breaches can result in fines up to £17.5 million or 4% of annual global turnover, whichever is higher (ICO, 2024)
This is exactly what I do with UK private practices. Answer the few questions above and I'll come back personally with where to start. Paul.