Key policies

Updated March 2026

1. Who We Are

This privacy policy explains how Orla McCarthy (“I”, “me”, “my”) collects, uses and protects your personal information when you visit this website or book an appointment.

For the purposes of data protection law, the data controller is:

Orla McCarthy

Trading as: Orla McCarthy — Women’s Health Physiotherapy

Osteopathic Care Clinic, Douglas Medical Centre, Brown House, Douglas East, Cork, T12A3PC

Email: hello@orlamccarthyphysio.com

This policy is governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679 and the Irish Data Protection Acts 1988–2018.

2. What Information I Collect

When you use this website

When you visit this website, certain information may be collected automatically, including your IP address, browser type, pages visited and the time and date of your visit. This is collected by cookies and is used only to understand how the website is used. See the Cookie Policy for more detail.

When you make a booking

When you book an appointment through this website, I collect the following information:

•        Your name and contact details (email address, phone number if provided)

•        The type of appointment you have booked and the date and time

•        Payment information (processed securely by Stripe — I do not store your card details)

When you attend an appointment

As part of your physiotherapy assessment and treatment, I collect and record health information. This is special category personal data under GDPR and is treated with the highest level of care. This includes:

•        Medical history and current symptoms

•        Details of your physical assessment and any internal examination

•        Treatment notes and clinical records

•        Information about your pregnancy, postnatal recovery or other relevant health history

When you contact me by email

If you email me, I will retain the content of that email and your email address in order to respond to your enquiry.

3. Why I Use Your Information and the Legal Basis

I process your personal data for the following purposes:

Purpose

Legal basis

Health data basis

Providing physiotherapy assessment and treatment

Contract (Art. 6(1)(b))

Healthcare provision (Art. 9(2)(h))

Managing appointments and sending reminders

Contract (Art. 6(1)(b))

N/A

Processing payment

Contract (Art. 6(1)(b))

N/A

Keeping clinical records as required by law and CORU

Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c))

Healthcare provision (Art. 9(2)(h))

Responding to your enquiries

Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f))

N/A

4. Who I Share Your Information With

I do not sell, rent or trade your personal information. I share your information only where necessary:

•        Cliniko — my practice management and booking system. Cliniko stores your booking details and appointment records on servers based in the EU. Cliniko acts as a data processor on my behalf. You can view Cliniko’s privacy policy at cliniko.com.

•        Stripe — payment processing. Stripe processes your payment securely. I do not store your card details. You can view Stripe’s privacy policy at stripe.com.

•        Your GP or other treating clinician — only if you give your explicit consent, or in cases where disclosure is required by law.

•        Regulatory bodies — such as CORU, if required as part of their regulatory functions.

I do not share your information with any third party for marketing purposes.

5. How Long I Keep Your Information

I keep clinical records in line with the guidance of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP) and CORU:

•        Adult patient records: retained for a minimum of 8 years from the date of last treatment

•        Records relating to a patient who was a minor at the time of treatment: retained until they reach the age of 25, or for 8 years from the date of last treatment, whichever is longer

•        Booking and payment records: retained for 7 years to comply with Revenue requirements

•        Email enquiries where no appointment was made: deleted after 12 months

After the relevant retention period, records are securely deleted.

6. Your Rights

Under GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

•        The right to access — you can request a copy of the personal data I hold about you

•        The right to rectification — you can ask me to correct inaccurate information

•        The right to erasure — you can ask me to delete your data, subject to legal retention obligations

•        The right to restrict processing — you can ask me to limit how I use your data in certain circumstances

•        The right to data portability — you can ask for your data in a structured, machine-readable format

•        The right to object — you can object to processing based on legitimate interests

Please note that some of these rights do not apply where I am required to keep records by law (for example, clinical records under CORU guidance).

To exercise any of these rights, please email hello@orlamccarthyphysio.com. I will respond within one month.

7. How to Make a Complaint

If you are unhappy with how I have handled your personal data, you have the right to make a complaint to the Data Protection Commission (DPC), the supervisory authority for data protection in Ireland.

Data Protection Commission

21 Fitzwilliam Square South, Dublin 2, D02 RD28

Website: dataprotection.ie | Phone: 01 765 0100

8. Security

I take the security of your personal data seriously. Your clinical records and booking data are held within Cliniko, which uses encryption and EU-based servers. Payment data is processed by Stripe using industry-standard PCI DSS security. I do not store payment card details.

9. Changes to This Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The most recent version will always be published on this website with the date it was last updated.

Cancellation and No Show policy

Notice Required

I ask that you give at least 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment. This allows your appointment slot to be offered to another patient who may be waiting for care.

To cancel or reschedule, please email hello@orlamccarthyphysio.com as early as possible.

Late Cancellations and No-Shows

Cancellations made with less than 24 hours’ notice, and appointments that are not attended without prior notice, will be charged the full appointment fee.

This policy is in place out of respect for other patients and to protect the sustainability of a small private practice. As a sole practitioner, a missed appointment cannot be filled at short notice and represents a significant loss.

Exceptions

I understand that genuine emergencies happen. In exceptional circumstances, exceptions may be made at my discretion and as a once-off. If something unexpected has come up, please get in touch as soon as you can and I will do my best to accommodate you.

Payment

Payment is taken at the time of booking via Stripe. In the event of a chargeable cancellation or no-show, the fee charged at the time of booking will not be refunded.

Running Late

If you are running late, please email hello@orlamccarthyphysio.com as soon as possible. I will do my best to accommodate you, but please be aware that your appointment may need to be shortened or rescheduled depending on the clinic schedule.

Cookie Policy

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work properly, to remember your preferences, and to provide information to the website owner about how the site is used.

Cookies on This Website

This website is built on Squarespace and uses Cliniko for appointment booking. Cookies may be set by both platforms. The cookies used on this site fall into the following categories:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for the website to function. They cannot be switched off. They include cookies that enable you to navigate the site and use its features, such as completing a booking.

Analytics Cookies

Squarespace uses analytics cookies to understand how visitors use this website. This data is anonymised and helps me understand which pages are visited most often, so I can improve the site. No personally identifiable information is collected through analytics cookies.

Third-Party Cookies

The Cliniko booking system and Stripe payment processor may set their own cookies when you interact with the booking widget. These are governed by their own privacy and cookie policies:

•        Cliniko: cliniko.com/privacy

•        Stripe: stripe.com/cookies-policy/legal

Managing Cookies

When you first visit this website, you will be asked for your consent to non-essential cookies. You can change your cookie preferences at any time by clicking the cookie settings link in the footer.

You can also control cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of this website.

More Information

For more information about cookies and how to manage them, visit allaboutcookies.org.

Terms and Conditions

1. About These Terms

These terms and conditions apply to all appointments booked through this website with Orla McCarthy, trading as Orla McCarthy — Women’s Health Physiotherapy, based at the Osteopathic Centre, Douglas Medical Centre, Cork.

By booking an appointment, you agree to these terms. Please read them carefully.

2. Services

I provide specialist women’s health physiotherapy services as a CORU-registered physiotherapist and member of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP).

Physiotherapy is a regulated healthcare profession. The advice and treatment I provide is based on your individual clinical presentation at the time of assessment. It does not replace medical advice from your GP or other treating clinician.

3. Appointments

Appointments are available at the Osteopathic Centre, Douglas Medical Centre, Cork. All appointments must be booked and paid for in advance through this website.

I reserve the right to decline or end an appointment if I have clinical or safety concerns. In such cases, you will be advised to seek appropriate alternative care.

4. Payment

Payment is taken at the time of booking via Stripe. All prices are in euro (€) and are inclusive of any applicable taxes.

Prices are listed on the Services page of this website. I reserve the right to update prices at any time; however, the price you pay will always be the price shown at the time of booking.

5. Cancellations and Refunds

Please refer to the Cancellation & No-Show Policy for full details.

In summary: cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice and missed appointments are charged the full fee. Appointments cancelled with more than 24 hours’ notice will be refunded in full or rescheduled, at your preference.

6. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, my liability to you in connection with any appointment or service is limited to the amount you paid for that appointment.

I am not liable for any indirect or consequential losses arising from your appointment, including any loss of earnings or additional medical costs.

Nothing in these terms limits my liability for death or personal injury caused by my negligence, or for fraudulent misrepresentation.

7. Your Responsibility

You are responsible for providing accurate and complete information about your health, medical history and symptoms at the time of booking and during your appointment. Inaccurate or incomplete information may affect the quality of care I am able to provide.

If your health condition changes significantly before your appointment, please contact me in advance so we can discuss whether the appointment is appropriate.

8. Complaints

I hope that your experience is always positive. If you have a concern or complaint, please contact me in the first instance by email at hello@orlamccarthyphysio.com. I will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and aim to resolve it within 28 days.

If you are not satisfied with my response, you may contact CORU (the regulator for health and social care professionals in Ireland) at coru.ie.

9. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of Ireland. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Irish courts.

10. Changes to These Terms

I may update these terms from time to time. The most recent version will be published on this website. Your continued use of the booking system constitutes acceptance of the current terms.