Legal
Privacy Policy
How we collect, use and protect your personal information, in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).
Last updated: August 2026
Who we are
WHC Plastic Surgery ("we", "us", "the practice") is the responsible party for the personal information described in this policy, as defined in the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (Act No. 4 of 2013), known as POPIA.
Responsible party: WHC Plastic Surgery (Dr Wei-Han Chen)
11 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg, 2196, South Africa
Email: info@whcplasticsurgery.co.za
Information Officer
Dr Wei-Han Chen acts as the Information Officer for the practice. Any question, request or complaint about how your personal information is handled can be sent to info@whcplasticsurgery.co.za.
What information we collect
When you contact the practice through this website, we collect the information you choose to give us. This typically includes your:
- Name
- Email address and telephone number
- Preferred consulting location
- The details of your enquiry or the procedure you are asking about
Our web host also automatically records standard technical information in its server logs, such as your IP address, browser type and the time of your visit. This is used only to keep the website running securely and is not used to identify you personally.
Health-related information
Because we are a medical practice, an enquiry you send us may include information about your health. Under POPIA, information about health is "special personal information" and receives additional protection. We process it only where you have provided it to us voluntarily in order to respond to your enquiry, and we treat it as confidential.
Please only include the health details necessary for your enquiry. Sensitive clinical information is best discussed during a consultation rather than submitted through a website form or email, as information sent over the internet can never be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Why we process your information
We use the information you provide to:
- Respond to your enquiry and answer any follow-up questions
- Arrange, confirm or reschedule a consultation
- Provide you with a quotation or information you have requested
- Keep a record of our correspondence with you
We do not use your information for marketing, and we do not sell it to anyone.
Our lawful basis
We process your personal information on the basis of your consent, which you give by submitting an enquiry to us, and in order to take steps at your request before a possible consultation. You may withdraw your consent at any time (see "Your rights" below), although this will not affect processing that has already taken place.
Who we share it with
We do not share your personal information with third parties except where it is necessary to operate the practice or where we are required to by law. This may include our website host and the service used to deliver enquiries from this website to us. Any such provider is only permitted to process your information on our instructions and to keep it secure.
Clinical records created once you become a patient of the practice are held separately and are governed by the National Health Act and the ethical rules of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), in addition to POPIA.
How we keep it secure
We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect your personal information against loss, unauthorised access and misuse. No method of transmission or storage is ever completely secure, but we work to keep the risk as low as reasonably possible.
How long we keep it
We keep website enquiry information only for as long as needed to deal with your enquiry and for a reasonable period afterwards, unless a longer period is required by law. Where your enquiry leads to you becoming a patient, the applicable medical-record retention periods under South African law apply.
Cookies and analytics
This website uses Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the site — for example, which pages are viewed and, in broad terms, how visitors arrive. Google Analytics sets cookies and processes this information on our behalf; the data is aggregated and is not used to identify you personally. We do not use advertising cookies. You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting data by declining cookies in your browser or by installing Google's opt-out browser add-on. Any map or directions link you choose to open will take you to a third-party service (such as Google Maps) governed by that provider's own privacy policy.
Your rights
Under POPIA you have the right to:
- Ask what personal information we hold about you, and request a copy of it
- Ask us to correct or update information that is inaccurate
- Ask us to delete or destroy information we no longer have a lawful reason to keep
- Object to the processing of your personal information
- Withdraw a consent you have previously given
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@whcplasticsurgery.co.za.
Complaints to the Information Regulator
If you believe we have not handled your personal information lawfully, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa):
The Information Regulator (South Africa)
Woodmead North Office Park, 54 Maxwell Drive, Woodmead, Johannesburg, 2191
General enquiries: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
POPIA complaints: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za
Website: inforegulator.org.za
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. Any changes will be published on this page with a revised "last updated" date.