gzutcm-2026-privacy-notice

Privacy Notice — GZUTCM Clinical Immersion 2026

Data Controller
Manchester Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (MATCM)
52–54 Washway Road, Sale, Cheshire M33 7QZ
Email: info@matcm.co.uk
Telephone: 0161 465 1150

Programme: GZUTCM Clinical Immersion 2026
Programme Dates: 18 October – 31 October 2026
Host Institution: Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (GZUTCM), Guiyang, Guizhou Province, People’s Republic of China

Last updated: 5 June 2026

1. What This Notice Covers

This Privacy Notice explains how Manchester Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (MATCM) collects, uses, stores, and shares your personal data when you apply for, enrol on, or participate in the GZUTCM Clinical Immersion 2026 programme (“the Programme”).

The Programme is a 14-day clinical and cultural immersion programme in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China, hosted by Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (GZUTCM). The Programme includes clinical observation, small-group teaching, lectures, cultural visits, on-campus accommodation, airport transfers, and related programme administration.

2. What Data We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal data through the application and enrolment process:

  • Full name, date of birth, gender, nationality, and contact details;
  • Passport information, including passport number, expiry date, nationality, and a copy of your passport photo page;
  • Emergency contact details, including name, relationship, telephone number, and email address where provided;
  • Travel information, including flight details, arrival and departure dates, and airport transfer requirements;
  • Accommodation-related information necessary for room allocation and programme arrangements;
  • Professional, educational, or clinical background, including qualifications, current role, and area of interest in Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, healthcare, or Chinese culture;
  • Eligibility information, including confirmation that you hold a non-PRC and non-Hong Kong passport where required by the Programme eligibility criteria;
  • Health, allergy, medication, mobility, accessibility, and dietary information where you choose to provide it or where it is necessary for safeguarding, welfare, or reasonable programme arrangements;
  • Payment information, including payment amounts, dates, and references, but not full bank card details;
  • Photographs or video footage taken during non-clinical Programme activities, where you have given separate consent.

We will not intentionally collect more personal data than is necessary for the administration and delivery of the Programme.

3. Why We Collect Your Data and Our Legal Basis

Purpose Legal Basis under UK GDPR
To assess your application and confirm your eligibility for the Programme Performance of a contract or steps taken before entering into a contract — Article 6(1)(b)
To administer your enrolment, communicate with you, manage payments, and provide participant support Performance of a contract — Article 6(1)(b)
To arrange accommodation, airport transfers, clinical teaching, lectures, cultural activities, and programme materials Performance of a contract — Article 6(1)(b)
To share necessary participant information with GZUTCM for programme registration, accommodation allocation, clinical teaching arrangements, certificate preparation, and related administration Performance of a contract — Article 6(1)(b)
To support visa invitation letters or other travel-support documents where applicable Performance of a contract — Article 6(1)(b)
To collect and process health, allergy, medication, accessibility, mobility, or dietary information for welfare and safeguarding purposes Explicit consent — Article 9(2)(a), together with Article 6(1)(a) or Article 6(1)(b) as applicable
To contact your emergency contact in the event of an incident, accident, illness, or welfare concern Legitimate interests — Article 6(1)(f), and where necessary vital interests — Article 6(1)(d)
To keep financial records for accounting, tax, audit, and legal compliance Legal obligation — Article 6(1)(c)
To use photographs or video footage from non-clinical Programme activities in MATCM promotional materials Consent — Article 6(1)(a)
To respond to enquiries, complaints, insurance matters, legal claims, or safeguarding concerns Legitimate interests — Article 6(1)(f), legal obligation — Article 6(1)(c), or establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims where applicable

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdraw consent.

4. Special Category Data

Some information you provide may be special category data under UK data protection law. This may include health information, allergies, medication, mobility needs, accessibility requirements, or other medical or welfare-related information.

We collect this information only where it is relevant to your welfare, safety, accommodation, dietary needs, or participation in the Programme. We will ask for your explicit consent before processing this type of information, unless another lawful basis applies in an emergency or where required by law.

You are responsible for providing accurate and up-to-date information so that appropriate arrangements can be considered.

5. Who We Share Your Data With

Your personal data may be shared with the following parties where necessary for the organisation and delivery of the Programme:

  • Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (GZUTCM), located in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, People’s Republic of China, for programme registration, accommodation allocation, clinical teaching arrangements, airport transfer coordination, certificate preparation, and related administration;
  • GZUTCM’s affiliated hospitals, departments, or programme coordinators, where necessary for clinical observation, small-group teaching, hospital access, or related arrangements;
  • MATCM programme staff and authorised representatives, for administration, communication, safeguarding, and participant support;
  • Accommodation, transport, or local coordination providers where this is necessary for Programme delivery;
  • Visa-support or travel-documentation contacts where applicable and where necessary to support your participation;
  • Professional advisers, insurers, or legal representatives where necessary for legal, insurance, safeguarding, or dispute-resolution purposes;
  • UK tax, accounting, or regulatory authorities where required by law.

We do not sell your personal data. We do not share your personal data with third parties for unrelated marketing or commercial purposes.

6. International Data Transfers

To deliver this Programme, MATCM needs to transfer certain personal data to GZUTCM and, where necessary, to related programme coordinators or affiliated hospitals in the People’s Republic of China.

The personal data transferred may include your name, date of birth, nationality, passport details, contact information, professional or educational background, flight details, accommodation requirements, and relevant welfare or dietary information where necessary.

China is not currently recognised by the UK as providing an adequate level of data protection. This means that data protection laws in China may not provide the same level of protection as UK data protection law.

To safeguard your data, MATCM will take reasonable steps to:

  • Share only the minimum personal data necessary for Programme-related purposes;
  • Share data only with parties that need it for Programme delivery, administration, accommodation, airport transfers, visa-support documentation, clinical teaching arrangements, or participant welfare;
  • Require GZUTCM and relevant programme contacts to use your personal data only for Programme-related purposes;
  • Avoid sharing unnecessary health or sensitive information unless it is relevant to welfare, safety, accommodation, dietary needs, or clinical placement arrangements;
  • Obtain your explicit consent to the international transfer where required.

By enrolling on the Programme and giving the relevant consent, you acknowledge that certain personal data must be transferred to China in order for MATCM and GZUTCM to deliver the Programme.

7. Photography and Promotional Use

MATCM and/or GZUTCM may take photographs or video during non-clinical Programme activities, such as opening and closing ceremonies, group activities, lectures, campus visits, museum visits, cultural excursions, and group events.

Photography, video recording, and audio recording in clinical areas are subject to hospital rules and patient confidentiality requirements. No clinical photography or recording should take place unless expressly authorised by the relevant hospital, supervising staff, and any patient where applicable.

Your consent for the use of your image in promotional materials will be requested separately. You may decline without affecting your place on the Programme.

If you give consent, photographs or video may be used in MATCM promotional materials, including the MATCM website, social media, brochures, newsletters, and future course publicity. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting info@matcm.co.uk. We will stop using your image in future materials within a reasonable timeframe, but we may not be able to remove materials already printed, published, distributed, or shared by third parties.

8. How Long We Keep Your Data

MATCM will retain your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Notice.

In general:

  • Application and enrolment records will be kept for up to 12 months after the Programme end date;
  • Programme administration records may be kept for up to 12 months after the Programme end date;
  • Health, welfare, allergy, medication, dietary, mobility, or accessibility information will normally be deleted within 3 months after the Programme end date, unless it is required for incident reporting, safeguarding, insurance, complaint handling, or legal reasons;
  • Financial records, including payment amounts, dates, invoices, receipts, and accounting records, may be retained for up to 6 years to comply with UK tax and accounting obligations;
  • Complaint, incident, insurance, safeguarding, or legal correspondence may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to deal with the matter and protect MATCM’s legal position;
  • Promotional photographs or video footage will be retained until you withdraw consent or until MATCM no longer requires the material for legitimate promotional use.

After the relevant retention period, your personal data will be securely deleted, anonymised, or archived where appropriate.

9. Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have rights in relation to your personal data. These may include the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you;
  • Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
  • Ask us to delete your data, subject to legal, contractual, safeguarding, or legitimate business requirements;
  • Ask us to restrict how we process your data;
  • Object to certain processing based on legitimate interests;
  • Withdraw consent where we rely on consent;
  • Request a copy of your data in a portable format where applicable;
  • Complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you are unhappy with how we handle your data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@matcm.co.uk.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
Website: https://ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113

10. If You Do Not Provide Required Data

Some personal data is necessary for MATCM and GZUTCM to assess your application, confirm your eligibility, arrange your place, support visa documentation where applicable, arrange accommodation and airport transfers, and deliver the Programme.

If you do not provide required information, MATCM may be unable to process your application, confirm your place, provide visa-support documentation, arrange accommodation or airport transfers, or allow you to participate in certain parts of the Programme.

Providing optional information, such as consent for promotional photography, is not required and will not affect your place on the Programme.

11. Security

MATCM will take reasonable organisational and technical steps to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure.

Access to your personal data will be limited to those who need it for Programme-related purposes. Where data is shared with GZUTCM or other relevant parties in China, MATCM will take reasonable steps to ensure that only necessary data is shared and that it is used only for Programme-related purposes.

12. Updates to This Notice

This Privacy Notice may be updated if there are changes to how we collect, use, store, or share your personal data.

If there are material changes that affect your rights or how your data is processed, MATCM will notify you by email or by another appropriate method.

13. Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice or how your personal data is handled, please contact:

Manchester Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (MATCM)
52–54 Washway Road, Sale, Cheshire M33 7QZ
Email: info@matcm.co.uk
Telephone: 0161 465 1150

By submitting the application or enrolment form, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Notice. Where separate consent is requested, you will be asked to confirm your consent by ticking the relevant box on the form.

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