Privacy Policy

Boots is committed to protecting your privacy. We will always keep your personal information safe and will never sell it to third parties. We’ll be clear and open with you about why we collect your personal information and how we use it. Where you have choices, we’ll explain them to you and respect your wishes.

In this policy, ‘We’ or ‘Boots’ means companies within the Walgreens Boots Alliance Group. For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation 2018, we have several companies (principally Boots UK Limited) registered as ‘Data Controllers’ with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

When you join Boots Volunteers we collect personal details, including your gender and ethnicity, so we can invite you to take part in studies for which you’re eligible.

When we invite you to take part in a study, we collect some health and lifestyle information, which may include medical conditions, allergies or sensitivities, medical treatment you’ve had and medication you are taking. If you agree to go ahead with the study, we’ll collect further information during the study, which may include photographs, video or audio recordings.

We use the information we hold about you only to carry out studies safely and meet our legal, regulatory and ethical requirements. Where we capture your comments about products you are testing we may use them for promotional purposes but we will always seek your consent first.

The information we hold about you as a panel member is separate from, and never linked to, any information Boots may hold about you as a customer or a colleague.

We cannot access other information Boots holds about you, such as prescription details, so please ensure that the information you give when taking part in a study is complete and accurate, particularly if it concerns medication, allergies or sensitivities.

We do not share your personal information outside Boots except with any third parties that provide services on our behalf, where we are compelled or permitted by law or where we have a duty of care to do so. For example, if we believe it is necessary for your health or safety we may disclose information to Boots’ own medically qualified staff, or to your GP or NHS Consultant.

While you’re a member of our volunteer panel, we will hold your name and contact details on our records so that we can invite you to take part in suitable studies. We hope you’ll enjoy being on our panel but please let us know if you no longer want to be a member and we will remove your contact details (address and phone numbers) from our volunteer database. We will keep your email address within our system for up to 10 years so we are able to tie up your details if you choose to re-join the panel but this will not be used to contact you.

Information related to any studies you’ve taken part in is anonymised so you cannot be identified and will remain on our records for as long as is necessary (up to 15 years) to fulfil our legal and regulatory requirements for our product claims.

If you would like a copy of the personal information we hold about you or request we stop processing your data or request we delete your data in connection with our volunteer panel, please contact us by email at bootsvolunteers@boots.co.uk or by post at:

Evaluation Suite,
Boots UK Ltd.,
D121 Building,
Thane Road,
Nottingham.
NG90 1BS

We will provide a response within 30 days. We will ask you for proof of ID.

It’s important that we keep your details accurate and up to date so please let us know of any changes to, or errors in, the information we hold about you.

If you have any concerns about how Boots handles your personal information, please contact us at bootsvolunteers@boots.co.uk