Privacy Notice
AppleMend — Where Understanding Comes First
| Document | Details |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.1 |
| Provided by | FocusWize Ltd, trading as AppleMend |
| Effective from | October 2026 |
| Next review due | October 2027, or sooner if our services or the law change |
| Contact | info@applemend.co.uk | 020 3034 0455 |
The short version
(cid:127) We collect the information needed to arrange and carry out your adult ADHD assessment, including information about your health. Health information is given extra protection by law, and we treat it as strictly confidential. (cid:127) AppleMend is a trading name of FocusWize Ltd. We arrange and support your assessment. We do not diagnose, prescribe or treat. Your assessment is carried out by an independent GMC-registered consultant psychiatrist, who makes the clinical decisions and is responsible, in their own right, for the clinical records they create. (cid:127) Your outcome or report is shared with your GP only if you agree, unless there is a serious risk to you or someone else, or the law requires it. (cid:127) If a university, employer or occupational health team refers or pays for your assessment, they receive only what you agree to. They do not get access to your clinical record. (cid:127) We never sell your information and we never use your health information for marketing. (cid:127) You have rights over your information, including the right to see a copy of it. Contact info@applemend.co.uk at any time.
1. About this notice
This notice explains how AppleMend collects, uses, shares and protects personal information. Personal information (also called personal data) is any information that can identify a living person, such as your name, contact details or health history.
It applies to:
(cid:127) people who enquire about, arrange or have an assessment through AppleMend ("patients") (cid:127) people who give information about a patient with that patient's agreement, such as a partner, parent or friend who completes a questionnaire ("informants") (cid:127) universities, employers and occupational health teams who refer or fund an assessment, and their contacts (cid:127) visitors to our website, applemend.co.uk
2. Who we are and who is responsible for your information
AppleMend is a trading name of FocusWize Ltd, a private limited company registered in England and Wales under company number 16305186, with its registered office at 392-394 Ewell Road, Surbiton, England, KT6 7BB. In this notice, "AppleMend", "we", "us" and "our" mean FocusWize Ltd acting through its AppleMend service.
AppleMend provides private, consultant-led adult ADHD assessment, online across the UK, for adults aged 18 and over. AppleMend arranges assessments and supports people through the process, from first enquiry to outcome. Each assessment is carried out by an independent GMC-registered consultant psychiatrist with more than twenty years of psychiatric experience.
How responsibility is shared
A "controller" is the organisation or person who decides why and how personal information is used, and who is legally responsible for it. For your assessment, there are two controllers, each responsible for different things:
| Who | What they are responsible for |
|---|---|
| FocusWize Ltd, trading as AppleMend | Enquiries, arranging appointments, payments, communication with you, our administrative records, our website, the secure systems used to hold and share your information, and arrangements with any organisation that refers or funds you. |
| Your consultant psychiatrist | The clinical records they create and the clinical judgements they make, including any diagnosis and your written report. Each psychiatrist is a GMC-registered doctor with their own professional and legal duties of confidentiality, and is an independent controller for these records. |
You only need to contact us. AppleMend is your single point of contact for any privacy question or request. Where a request concerns records your psychiatrist is responsible for, we will pass it to them and coordinate the reply. AppleMend and each psychiatrist work under a written agreement setting out these responsibilities.
Contact us about privacy
Privacy Lead, AppleMend Email: info@applemend.co.uk (please put "Privacy" in the subject line) Post: AppleMend (Privacy), FocusWize Ltd, 392-394 Ewell Road, Surbiton, KT6 7BB Telephone: 020 3034 0455 or 07799 073 677 Website: applemend.co.uk
3. The information we collect
We only collect what is needed for a thorough, safe assessment and to run our service properly.
| Type of information | Examples |
|---|---|
| Enquiry details | Your name, email address, telephone number (optional), how you describe yourself (for example, professional, student or organisation) and the message you send us. |
| Identity | Name, date of birth and, where relevant to your care, sex and gender. We may ask to see identification to confirm who you are before your assessment. |
| Contact | Home address, email address, telephone numbers, how you prefer to be contacted, and emergency contact details. |
| Type of information | Examples |
|---|---|
| Health (special category) | Your reasons for seeking an assessment; questionnaires and rating scales; developmental, educational, medical and mental health history; current medicines; information about overlapping difficulties such as anxiety, low mood, obsessive-compulsive-type difficulties, stress or burnout; the psychiatrist's notes, findings, any diagnosis, recommendations and written report. |
| Other sensitive information | Information about ethnicity, religion, sexuality or similar matters, only if you choose to share it or it is genuinely relevant to your assessment. |
| Information from others | Informant questionnaires, old school reports, and letters or records from your GP or previous clinicians — collected only with your agreement. |
| Referral and funding | The name of the referring or funding organisation, your contact there, any reference number, and what you have agreed they may receive. |
| Professional context | Your occupation or course of study, where this helps the psychiatrist understand how difficulties affect your daily life. |
| Financial and transactions | Payment references, amounts, dates and invoices. Card payments are handled by a secure payment provider; we do not store full card details. |
| Communications | Emails, messages, call notes and records of your enquiry conversation. |
| Website and technical | IP address, browser and device type, pages visited and cookie choices. See section 15. |
4. Where your information comes from
(cid:127) You — when you enquire, arrange an assessment, complete forms or questionnaires, attend consultations, or contact us. (cid:127) People who know you well — an informant may complete a questionnaire about you, but only with your agreement. They will be told how their information is used. (cid:127) Your GP or other clinicians — if you ask us to, or agree that we may, obtain relevant records. (cid:127) A referring or funding organisation — basic details needed to arrange your assessment. (cid:127) Our website — through our enquiry form and, where you allow it, cookies.
5. How we use your information and our lawful bases
The law only allows personal information to be used where there is a "lawful basis" — a legal reason set out in Article 6 of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). Health information also needs an extra "condition" from Article 9, because it is "special category data" that needs greater protection. The table below sets out what we use information for and the legal reasons we rely on.
| What we use it for | Lawful basis (Article 6) | Condition for health information (Article 9) |
|---|---|---|
| Responding to your enquiry and holding your initial conversation | Steps you ask us to take before entering a contract (6(1)(b)); our legitimate interests in responding to enquiries (6(1)(f)) | Health care, including considering whether an assessment is appropriate (9(2)(h)) |
| Arranging and carrying out your assessment, and preparing your report and explanation of findings | Contract with you (6(1)(b)) or, if an organisation funds you, legitimate interests (6(1)(f)) | Medical diagnosis and the provision of health care (9(2)(h)), by professionals bound by confidentiality |
| Obtaining information from informants or previous clinicians with your agreement | Contract (6(1)(b)); legitimate interests (6(1)(f)) | Medical diagnosis (9(2)(h)) |
| What we use it for | Lawful basis (Article 6) | Condition for health information (Article 9) |
|---|---|---|
| Sharing your outcome or report with your GP, or another clinician, when you agree | Contract (6(1)(b)) | Provision of health care (9(2)(h)), together with your consent under the duty of confidentiality |
| Sharing information with a referring or funding organisation, where you agree | Legitimate interests in fulfilling our agreement with that organisation (6(1)(f)) | Your explicit consent (9(2)(a)) |
| Acting where there is a serious risk of harm to you or others | Vital interests (6(1)(d)); legitimate interests (6(1)(f)) | Vital interests (9(2)(c)) or substantial public interest, including safeguarding (9(2)(g) with the Data Protection Act 2018) |
| Taking payment, invoicing and keeping financial records | Contract (6(1)(b)); legal obligation (6(1)(c)) | Not applicable — no health information is used |
| Quality and governance: audit, incident reviews and handling complaints | Legitimate interests in providing a safe, high-quality service (6(1)(f)); legal obligation (6(1)(c)) | Management of health care services (9(2)(h)) |
| Cooperating with regulators such as the General Medical Council or the Information Commissioner's Office | Legal obligation (6(1)(c)) | Management of health care services (9(2)(h)); substantial public interest (9(2)(g)) |
| Responding to court orders and dealing with legal claims | Legal obligation (6(1)(c)); legitimate interests (6(1)(f)) | Legal claims (9(2)(f)) |
| Asking for feedback about our service | Legitimate interests in improving our service (6(1)(f)) | Not applicable — feedback forms do not ask for health information |
| Sending service updates or a newsletter, if you ask for them | Your consent (6(1)(a)) | Never — we do not use health information for marketing |
| Non-essential website cookies and analytics | Your consent (6(1)(a)) | Not applicable |
If you do not provide information needed for your assessment, the psychiatrist may not be able to complete it. We will explain this if it applies.
6. Confidentiality
Your information is protected by data protection law and by the common law duty of confidentiality, which means information given in confidence must not be shared without permission except in limited circumstances. Our psychiatrists also follow the General Medical Council's guidance on confidentiality. Everyone who works with AppleMend is bound by a written confidentiality agreement, and people can only see your information if they need it for their role.
Many of the people we work with are professionals for whom discretion matters. We will contact you only in the ways you have agreed, and we will not leave detailed messages unless you have told us it is safe to do so.
7. Who we share your information with
We share only what is necessary, with people who need it, and with appropriate agreements in place. We may share information with:
(cid:127) The consultant psychiatrist carrying out your assessment, and any clinician who supports them (for example, for a second opinion), on a need-to-know basis. (cid:127) Your GP — only if you agree, except in the circumstances described in section 9. (cid:127) Other clinicians or people you nominate — only if you ask us to. AppleMend does not arrange medication or ongoing treatment. If your assessment points towards treatment, the psychiatrist will explain the available routes, and information is passed on only if you agree. (cid:127) A referring or funding organisation — only what you agree to. See section 8. (cid:127) Service providers ("processors") — companies that handle information on our behalf, only on our instructions and under a written contract. These include providers of secure video consultation, secure email and file sharing, clinical and administrative record systems, payment processing, website hosting and enquiry forms, IT support, and accountancy. (cid:127) Professional advisers such as lawyers, accountants and insurers, where needed, under a duty of confidentiality. (cid:127) Regulators and authorities where the law requires, such as the General Medical Council, the Information Commissioner's Office, HM Revenue and Customs, the courts or the police. (cid:127) A future owner of our business, if AppleMend is sold or restructured, who would have to protect your information in the same way.
We never sell your information, and we do not share it with other companies for their own marketing.
8. If a university, employer or other organisation refers or funds
your assessment
The organisation that refers or pays for your assessment is separate from AppleMend. It is responsible for its own handling of your information, under its own privacy notice.
(cid:127) By default, we tell the organisation only what is needed to administer the arrangement: that an assessment has been arranged and completed, the date of any change in status, and invoice details. We do not tell them anything about your health. (cid:127) Anything more — such as whether an assessment found ADHD, a summary of findings, recommendations or a copy of your report — is shared only with your explicit, written consent. We will tell you exactly what will be shared, with whom and why. (cid:127) You can see it first. You will have the chance to read anything before it is sent. (cid:127) You can change your mind and withdraw your consent at any time before the information is sent. (cid:127) Your report belongs to you. Reports that may support workplace or university adjustments, or a Disabled Students' Allowance application, are yours to share. You decide whether to share them, or ask us to send them on your behalf. Each institution makes its own decisions. (cid:127) The organisation does not have access to your clinical record. (cid:127) If we report to an organisation about the service overall, we use only anonymous, combined figures for groups large enough that no individual can be identified.
Choosing not to share information with your funder will not affect the quality of your assessment.
AppleMend and FocusWize Ltd
AppleMend is a trading name of FocusWize Ltd, which is legally responsible for AppleMend's information. Any other, non-clinical services FocusWize offers are run separately from AppleMend. Information about AppleMend enquiries and assessments is kept in AppleMend's own systems, can be seen only by people working on AppleMend assessments, and is never used for FocusWize's non-clinical services or their marketing. If you use a FocusWize non-clinical service, your information there is not passed to AppleMend: we will only treat you as an AppleMend patient if you choose to contact AppleMend directly and give your own consent.
9. When information may be shared without your consent
This is rare. We, or your psychiatrist, may share information without your agreement only where it is necessary and lawful, for example:
(cid:127) where there is a serious risk of harm to you or to someone else, including safeguarding concerns about a child or an adult at risk (cid:127) where a court order or the law requires it (cid:127) to help prevent or detect a serious crime (cid:127) in line with GMC guidance, where there are concerns about a person's fitness to drive and they cannot or will not inform the DVLA themselves
In these situations only the minimum information needed is shared, with the right people. Where it is safe and lawful, we will tell you first or as soon as possible afterwards.
10. Automated decisions
We do not make decisions about you using automated systems alone. Every clinical decision, including whether a diagnosis is made, is made by a consultant psychiatrist using their professional judgement.
11. Online consultations, recordings and digital tools
Assessments take place by secure video consultation. Please join from a private space where you will not be overheard.
(cid:127) Recordings: consultations are not recorded unless you are asked in advance and agree. If you agree to a recording, it is used only to help the psychiatrist write an accurate report, stored securely, and deleted once your report is finalised. Saying no will not affect your assessment. (cid:127) Transcription and AI tools: no automated tool makes clinical decisions. If a psychiatrist wishes to use a transcription or note-taking tool, you will be told beforehand and can decline, and the psychiatrist reviews and approves everything written about you. (cid:127) If you would like to record a consultation yourself, please let us know beforehand so this can be agreed.
12. Where your information is stored and international transfers
We aim to store your information in the UK. Some service providers may store or access information outside the UK. Where this happens, we make sure it stays protected by using one of the safeguards allowed by UK law, such as:
(cid:127) a country the UK Government has confirmed gives adequate protection, including organisations certified under the UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (cid:127) the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, or the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses — legally binding contracts requiring the recipient to protect your information to UK standards
You can ask us for more information about these safeguards.
13. How we keep your information secure
We use technical and organisational measures appropriate to the sensitivity of health information. These include encryption of information in transit and at rest, multi-factor authentication on our accounts, access limited to those who need it, secure encrypted methods for sending reports, staff confidentiality agreements and training, and written agreements with every service provider.
No system is completely risk-free. If a data breach happens that is likely to put your rights at risk, we will report it to the Information Commissioner's Office within 72 hours where the law requires, and tell you without undue delay if there is a high risk to you, including what we are doing about it.
14. How long we keep your information
We keep information only for as long as it is needed, and for any period required by law or professional guidance. For clinical records we follow the NHS Records Management Code of Practice as our benchmark.
| Information | How long we keep it |
|---|---|
| Clinical records (adult mental health), including your report | 20 years after your last contact, or 10 years after death if sooner |
| Enquiries that do not lead to an assessment | 12 months from your last contact |
| Financial and invoice records | 6 years from the end of the financial year they relate to |
| Identification checks | We record that identification was checked; copies, if any, are deleted once the check is complete |
| Consultation recordings (only if you agree to one) | Deleted once your report is finalised |
| Complaints files | 10 years from closure |
| Mailing list | Until you unsubscribe. A minimal "do not contact" record is kept so we respect your choice |
| Website analytics | No longer than 14 months |
When information is no longer needed, it is securely deleted or anonymised. Information held in back-up systems is overwritten in line with the normal back-up cycle.
15. Our website, forms and cookies
Cookies are small files placed on your device when you visit a website. We use essential cookies to make our website work. Analytics and any other non-essential cookies are used only if you agree through our cookie banner, and you can change your choice at any time.
Information you send through our enquiry form is treated in confidence and used only to respond to your enquiry. Please do not include detailed medical history in the form. We will ask for what is needed securely, at the right stage.
Our website may link to other websites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices, so please read their privacy notices.
16. Marketing
We will only send you a newsletter or service updates if you have chosen to receive them. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in every email or by contacting us. Whether or not you receive these has no effect on your assessment. We never use your health information, or the fact that you have had an assessment, for marketing.
17. Your rights
You have the following rights. Some do not apply in every situation, particularly for clinical records that must be kept for safety and legal reasons; if a right is limited, we will explain why.
| Right | What it means |
|---|---|
| To be informed | To know how your information is used. This notice does that. |
| Of access | To ask for a copy of the information held about you (often called a subject access request). |
| To rectification | To ask for information that is wrong or incomplete to be corrected. A clinical opinion is not usually changed, but your comments can be added to your record. |
| To erasure | To ask for information to be deleted in some circumstances. This is often limited for clinical records that must be kept. |
| To restrict processing | To ask for use of your information to be paused in some circumstances, for example while a correction is checked. |
| To object | To object to use of your information on the basis of legitimate interests, and to object to marketing at any time. |
| To data portability | To receive information you provided in a commonly used electronic format, or have it sent to another organisation, where this applies. |
| To withdraw consent | Where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw it at any time. This does not affect anything done before you withdrew. |
| About automated decisions | Not to be subject to decisions made solely by automated means. We do not make such decisions. |
To make a request, email info@applemend.co.uk with "Privacy request" in the subject line, or call us. It is usually free. We may need to confirm your identity before releasing information. We will respond within one month, or tell you within that month if we need up to two further months because the request is complex.
18. Age
Our assessments are for adults aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect information about children, other than childhood history that you or an informant tell us about as part of your assessment.
19. Concerns and complaints
If you are unhappy with how your information has been handled, please contact us first at info@applemend.co.uk so we can try to put it right. We will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days and keep you informed.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office:
Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF Telephone: 0303 123 1113 | Website: ico.org.uk
20. Changes to this notice
We review this notice at least once a year and whenever our services or the law change. The latest version will always be on our website, with the date it was last updated. If we make a significant change that affects you, we will tell you directly.
AppleMend is not a crisis service
If you need urgent support, contact your GP, call NHS 111, or call Samaritans free on 116 123, any time. In an emergency, or if someone's life is at risk, call 999.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Personal information (personal data) | Any information that can identify a living person. |
| Special category data | More sensitive information, such as health information, that the law protects more strictly. |
| Controller | The organisation or person who decides how and why personal information is used, and is legally responsible for it. |
| Independent controller | A controller who makes their own decisions about the information they are responsible for, even when working alongside another controller. |
| Processor | A company that handles personal information on a controller's behalf, only following the controller's instructions. |
| Lawful basis | One of the legal reasons in UK GDPR that allows personal information to be used. |
| Legitimate interests | A lawful basis allowing use of information for a genuine business reason, where this is fair and does not override your rights. |
| Explicit consent | A clear, specific, recorded agreement — usually in writing — to a particular use or disclosure, which you can withdraw. |
| Informant | Someone who knows you well and provides information about you, with your agreement, to support your assessment. |
| Subject access request | A request to receive a copy of the personal information an organisation holds about you. |
| ICO | The Information Commissioner's Office, the UK regulator for data protection. |