Privacy Policy

1. Who this policy applies to

• Clinic operators — businesses that register and use the SandoAssist dashboard.
• Patients / end users — individuals who interact with the WhatsApp bot operated by a clinic.

2. Data we collect

From clinic operators

• Name, email address, and business name provided during registration.
• WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) ID and phone number linked during onboarding.
• CRM API credentials (stored encrypted at rest).
• Billing information processed by Stripe (we do not store card numbers).

From patients (via WhatsApp)

• WhatsApp phone number (provided automatically by the WhatsApp platform).
• Name, appointment preferences, medical condition, and any other information the patient voluntarily shares in conversation.
• Conversation messages and booking history.

Automatically collected

• Message metadata (timestamps, message IDs) from the WhatsApp Cloud API.
• Error logs and usage telemetry to operate and improve the Service.

3. How we use data

• To operate the WhatsApp booking bot on behalf of the clinic.
• To generate AI responses to patient messages using Anthropic Claude.
• To create, retrieve, and cancel appointments in the clinic's CRM.
• To send appointment reminders and confirmations to patients via WhatsApp.
• To provide clinics with conversation history and booking reports in the dashboard.
• To process subscription payments.
• To comply with legal obligations.

We do not sell personal data to third parties. We do not use patient data for advertising.

4. WhatsApp data use

We access WhatsApp messages via the Meta WhatsApp Cloud API solely to operate the appointment booking bot for clinics. Message content is processed in real time to generate a reply and is stored to provide conversation history to the clinic. We do not use WhatsApp data for any purpose beyond providing the Service. We do not share WhatsApp message content with any party other than the clinic operator and, for AI response generation, Anthropic (see section 5).

5. Third-party processors

Transfers to the USA are covered by Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or the UK–US data bridge where applicable. Anthropic does not use API data to train its models.

6. Legal basis for processing (UK GDPR)

• Contract performance — processing necessary to deliver the Service to clinic operators.
• Legitimate interests — operating the bot, sending appointment reminders, and maintaining service security.
• Legal obligation — retaining records as required by law.

Health information (special category data)

When a patient tells the bot about a symptom or medical condition, that is "special category" data under Article 9 UK GDPR, which requires a lawful basis in addition to those above:

• Explicit consent (Art. 9(2)(a)) — the first time a patient mentions a symptom or condition, the bot pauses and explicitly asks whether it can process that information to help book their appointment. Nothing else proceeds until the patient replies YES; replying NO connects them with clinic staff directly instead. Consent is recorded against the conversation with a timestamp and can be withdrawn at any time by asking to speak to a person or by requesting erasure (see section 9).
• Vital interests (Art. 9(2)(c)) — where a message describes a potential medical emergency (e.g. stroke or heart-attack symptoms), the bot directs the patient to emergency services immediately, before asking for consent. Protecting someone in a medical emergency takes priority over collecting consent first.

7. Data retention

• Conversation messages and booking records: 12 months from creation.
• Clinic account data: retained while the account is active, deleted within 30 days of account closure.
• Payment records: 7 years (legal requirement).

8. Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Rectification — ask us to correct inaccurate data.
• Erasure — request deletion of your data (see section 9).
• Restriction — ask us to pause processing while a dispute is resolved.
• Portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Object — object to processing based on legitimate interests.

To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@sandoassist.com. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Data deletion

Patients may request deletion of all personal data associated with their WhatsApp number by emailing privacy@sandoassist.com with the subject line "Data Deletion Request". Please include your WhatsApp phone number (in international format, e.g. +44 7xxx xxxxxx). We will delete your conversation history, contact record, and any bookings within 30 days and confirm by email.

Clinic operators may delete their account and all associated data from the dashboard Settings page, or by contacting us at the address below.

10. Security

We encrypt data in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest. CRM API credentials are stored using encryption. Access to production data is restricted to authorised personnel. We conduct regular security reviews.

11. Cookies

The SandoAssist dashboard uses session cookies for authentication only. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies. The WhatsApp bot interface is operated entirely within WhatsApp and does not use cookies.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated to clinic operators by email at least 14 days before taking effect. The effective date at the top of this page will always reflect the latest version.

13. Contact & complaints

Sandosoft Tech Limited, 5 Surrey Grove, Sutton SM1 3PW, England
Email: privacy@sandoassist.com

If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection. Sandosoft Tech Limited is registered with the ICO under registration reference ZC225325.