Cookie Policy

This policy explains how we use cookies and similar technologies on our website, your rights in relation to them, and how to manage your preferences

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone)
when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work efficiently, to improve the
user experience, and to provide information to website owners.

Cookies do not contain personally identifiable information on their own, but information we hold
about you may be linked to information stored in and obtained from cookies. Cookies are not
harmful to your device and do not carry viruses or malware.

Under UK law, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) require us to obtain your consent before placing any non-essential cookies on your device.

2. How We Use Cookies

We use cookies for the following purposes:

  • To make our website function correctly — some cookies are essential for you to be able to use
    our website and access its features.
  • To remember your preferences — so you do not have to re-enter information each time you
    visit.
  • To analyse how our website is used — so we can improve the content and experience we
    provide.
  • To support our advertising — so we can understand how visitors reach us and measure the
    effectiveness of any advertising campaigns.

 

We never use cookies to collect sensitive health information, and we take particular care to ensure

that any tracking used on our website is appropriate for a healthcare setting.

3. Types of Cookies We Use

3.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for the website to function and cannot be switched off. They are
usually set in response to actions you take, such as setting your privacy preferences or filling in
forms.

Cookie Name
Duration
Purpose
hmdg_cookie_consent
180 days
Stores your cookie consent preferences so you are not asked again on every visit.
PHPSESSID
Session
Maintains your session whilst browsing the website. Deleted when you close your browser.
wordpress_logged_in_*
Session
WordPress authentication cookie — only set if you log into the website.

3.2 Functional Cookies

These cookies enable enhanced functionality and personalisation. If you do not allow these
cookies, some features may not work as intended.

Cookie Name
Duration
Purpose
wp-settings-*
1 year
Stores user interface preferences such as text size and layout.

3.3 Analytics Cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and understand how visitors move around our website. All
information collected is aggregated and therefore anonymous. These cookies are only placed with
your consent.

Cookie Name
Provider
Duration
Purpose
_ga
Google Analytics
2 years
Stores user interface preferences such as text size and layout.
_ga_*
Google Analytics 4
2 years
Used to persist session state across pages.
_gid
Google Analytics
24 hours
Registers a unique ID to generate statistical data on how you use the website.
_gat
Google Analytics
1 minute
Used to throttle request rate to Google Analytics.

3.4 Performance Cookies

These cookies collect anonymous information about how visitors use our website to help us
improve website performance and user experience.

Cookie Name
Provider
Duration
Purpose
gat_gtag_*
Google Tag Manager
1 minute
Throttles the request rate when using Google Tag Manager.

3.5 Marketing & Advertising Cookies

These cookies are used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests and to measure
the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. These cookies are only placed with your consent.

Healthcare Note: We do not use marketing cookies to target individuals based on health conditions,
medical history, or any sensitive personal data. Any advertising activity is limited to general
awareness of our services

Cookie Name
Provider
Duration
Purpose
_gcl_au
Google Ads
90 days
Used by Google AdSense to experiment with advertisement efficiency.
_gcl_aw
Google Ads
90 days
Stores the click attribution information for Google Ads conversion tracking
_gac_*
Google Ads
90 days
Contains campaign-related information for the user.
IDE
Google DoubleClick
1 year
Used for targeted advertising and to measure conversions

4. Google Consent Mode v2

Our website uses Google Consent Mode v2, which adjusts the behaviour of Google tags based on
your consent choices.

  • If you accept analytics or advertising cookies, Google tags will collect and send data as normal.
  • If you reject cookies, Google tags will operate in a privacy-safe mode — no cookies are placed
    and no personal data is sent, but anonymised, aggregated data may still be used by Google to
    support conversion modelling.

We have configured the following privacy settings as defaults, regardless of your consent choice:

  • ads_data_redaction: true — advertising identifiers are redacted when consent is denied.
  • url_passthrough: true — booking source information is passed via URL rather than cookies
    where consent has not been given.

5. Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies on our website are set by third-party services. We do not control these third-party
cookies. The main third parties whose cookies may be present on our website include:

  • Google LLC — analytics, advertising, and tag management. Privacy policy:
    policies.google.com/privacy
  • Cliniko — our online booking platform. When you click “Book Now”, you are directed to Cliniko’s
    website and their own cookie and privacy policies apply. Privacy policy:
    cliniko.com/policies/privacy

We recommend that you review the privacy policies of any third-party services you interact with
via our website.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Under UK GDPR and PECR, you have the right to:

  • Withdraw consent at any time by clicking the cookie icon at the bottom-left of any page on our
    website.
  • Access information about which cookies are placed on your device.
  • Object to processing of your personal data collected via cookies.
  • Request erasure of personal data collected via cookies by contacting us directly.

Withdrawing your consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdrew it.

6.1 Managing Cookies in Your Browser

You can also control and delete cookies through your browser settings:

You can also opt out of Google Analytics across all websites by installing the Google Analytics Optout Browser Add-on.

7. How Long Does Consent Last?

When you make a choice about cookies on our website, we store your preference for 180 days (6
months). After this period, we will ask for your consent again. This is in line with guidance from the
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

If we make significant changes to this Cookie Policy or to the cookies we use, we will ask for your
consent again regardless of when you last provided it.

8. Legal Basis for Processing

Our use of cookies is governed by the following UK legislation:

  • Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) — requires us to obtain
    your consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device.
  • UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) — governs the processing of any personal
    data collected via cookies.
  • Data Protection Act 2018 — supplements the UK GDPR and provides the domestic legislative
    framework for data protection in the United Kingdom.

The legal basis under UK GDPR for non-essential cookies is consent (Article 6(1)(a)). Strictly
necessary cookies are placed on the basis of legitimate interests in ensuring the basic technical
operation of the website.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use,
changes in technology, or changes in applicable law. When we make material changes, we will
update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, seek fresh consent
from visitors to our website.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy, or if you wish to exercise any of your rights in
relation to cookies and personal data, please contact us:

To get in touch with us regarding this Cookie Policy or to exercise any of your data protection rights,
please visit our Contact page on our website where you will find all the ways to reach us.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

  • Website: ico.org.uk
  • Helpline: 0303 123 1113
  • Address: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF

 

Cookie Policy · Last updated 9 March 2026

UK GDPR · PECR · Data Protection Act 2018

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