Data deletion instructions

This page explains how to request deletion of data Clinq holds about you. Please read the section that applies to you.

1. What we hold vs. what your GP holds

Clinq is a messaging and booking platform used by UK GP practices. We act as a data processor on behalf of your GP practice — they are the data controller for any clinical or personal information about you.

Some of your data is stored on our systems (messages, booking forms, media you sent on WhatsApp). Other data is stored in the GP practice's clinical record system (typically Semble) — that includes your patient record, appointment history, invoices, and any clinical notes the doctor wrote. We have no ability to delete data from the practice's clinical record; only the practice can do that.

2. If you are a patient

Please contact your GP practice directly first — they are the data controller and the right point of contact for any erasure request under Article 17 UK GDPR. They will instruct us to delete the corresponding data on our systems.

If you can't reach the practice, or you specifically want to delete only the messages and media held on our platform (not your clinical record), email us at privacy@clinq.online with:

• The name of the GP practice you messaged.
• The WhatsApp phone number you used.
• A brief statement that you are requesting deletion of data Clinq holds about you.

We will verify the request with the practice and complete the deletion within 30 days, in line with UK GDPR. We will email you to confirm when it is done.

3. If you are a GP practice administrator

You can request deletion of your practice's data — either for an individual patient (e.g. responding to a patient erasure request) or for the entire practice account.

• Individual patient data: from your dashboard, open the patient's conversation and use the "Delete conversation" option in the sidebar. This removes messages, media, and intake data from our systems immediately.
• Whole practice account: email privacy@clinq.online from the email address registered as the practice administrator. We will export your full message history to you in JSON within 7 days, then permanently delete the practice's data within 30 days of confirmation.

4. If you are a practice staff member with a login

To delete your own staff account (separate from patient data, which belongs to the practice):

• Ask your practice administrator to remove your seat from the dashboard (Settings → Team), or
• Email privacy@clinq.online from your work email and we will revoke access and delete your account within 30 days.

5. What happens after deletion

• Live data is removed from our database and from media storage (Cloudflare R2) immediately.
• Encrypted database backups are retained for up to 35 days for disaster recovery, after which the deleted data is no longer recoverable.
• We may retain a minimal record of the deletion request itself (your email, date, and outcome) for up to 6 years, to demonstrate compliance to the ICO if audited.

6. Things we cannot delete

• Records held in your GP practice's clinical system (Semble or otherwise) — please contact the practice directly.
• Payment records held by Stripe — Stripe is independently regulated and required to retain certain transaction records under UK financial-services law. See stripe.com/privacy.
• Messages held by WhatsApp / Meta on their own servers. See WhatsApp's data policy for their retention rules.

7. Complaints

If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your request, you can lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

8. Contact

All deletion requests: privacy@clinq.online.