This Privacy Notice explains how the Institute of Medical Imaging and Visualisation (IMIV), part of Bournemouth University, collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you attend our MRI facility. It also explains your rights, including how your data may be used for research and your choices around this. 

Who we are

IMIV is a clinical and research MRI facility based at Bournemouth University. We provide imaging services for clinical, educational, and research purposes, and are registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

What information we collect

  • We collect information you or your referring organisation provide when booking and attending a scan, including:
  • Name and contact details
  • Date of birth
  • MRI safety screening responses
  • MRI images
  • Signed consent forms (if participating in research)
  • Health-related information necessary for imaging safety or clinical relevance and to link your scan to NHS information systems where applicable
  • Registration number, if parking is available to you on site.

Why we collect your information

  • We collect and process your information to:
  • Deliver safe and effective MRI imaging
  • Support clinical care (where applicable)
  • Conduct ethically approved research (with your consent)
  • Improve education and training
  • Report any incidental findings
  • Comply with legal and regulatory requirements, including associated monitoring and audit activities carried out by authorised individuals with responsibility for those activities
  • Manage a legal claim or process, or to protect the vital interests of you or another person.

National Data Opt-Out

The National Data Opt-Out is an NHS service that allows individuals to opt out of their confidential patient information being used for purposes beyond their individual care, such as research or planning.

At IMIV, we do not use any identifiable NHS patient data for research unless we have obtained your explicit consent. This means that the National Data Opt-Out does not apply to our research activities in practice, as we rely on your informed agreement. We are committed to respecting your choices and protecting your privacy at all times. If you would like to learn more about the National Data Opt-Out or to review your NHS data sharing preferences, please visit: www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters.

If you are invited to participate in research, we will ask for your written consent before using your identifiable data. You may also be asked whether you agree to your anonymised MRI images being retained and used for future research or teaching purposes. You have the right to decline or withdraw your consent at any time. If you do not wish your data to be used for future research, this will not affect your care or participation in the scan.

Data storage and security

All data is stored securely in line with Bournemouth University’s data protection policies. Only authorised personnel have access to identifiable information. Anonymised data is separated from any identifying information and used in accordance with ethical and legal standards.

Your rights

You have rights under UK data protection law, including the right to:

  • Access your data
  • Correct inaccurate data
  • Withdraw consent (where applicable)
  • Object to certain types of processing
  • Complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Most of these rights are subject to some exceptions or exemptions. In particular there are limits on your right to restrict our processing or erase your data where this would impact adversely on the integrity and value of academic research, although we will usually agree to withdraw your data from studies where this is possible.

Sharing your data

We will share your personal data with:

  • The organisation that has referred you to us for the scan
  • Our third party data processors which provide systems in support of our facilities
  • Emergency services and/or any person you have identified to us as being your next of kin or emergency contact, where this is necessary to safeguard your position or that of other individuals
  • The Care Quality Commission and our other regulators as required to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations
  • The police or other organisations with responsibility for investigating potential crimes such as fraud where satisfied that this is necessary for the prevention or detection of crime.

There may be additional one-off circumstances in which we share data with third parties which are not covered in this Notice, such as where a government or other public sector body exercises a legal right to require information in relation to a specific situation.
We will only share information with third parties where satisfied that the sharing complies with the data protection laws.

Lawful basis for processing your data

The following conditions apply:

  • Article 6.1(e) of the UK GDPR, i.e. our processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest. Research is a task that we perform in the public interest, as part of our core function as a university
  • Article 9.2(j) of the UK GDPR, i.e. our processing is necessary for research purposes or statistical purposes (this condition applies as long as we are applying appropriate protections to keep your data secure and safeguard your interests; these are described above).

Contact us

If you have any questions or concerns about this notice or how your data is used, please contact:

Data Protection Officer
Bournemouth University
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01202 961315.