Last updated: 1 September 2026
This privacy notice explains how personal information is collected and used through pathologyuncertainty.com and The Laboratory Quality Briefing.
Who is responsible for your information?
The data controller for this website is Stephen MacDonald Consulting Ltd, trading as Pathology Uncertainty.
For questions about this notice or the use of your personal information, contact:
Email: steviemac180@gmail.com
Information collected
Depending on how you use the website, the following information may be collected:
- your email address and subscription status when you subscribe to The Laboratory Quality Briefing;
- information about newsletter delivery, opening and link activity made available through WordPress.com or Jetpack;
- your name, email address, website address and comment content if you leave a comment;
- technical information associated with visiting the website, such as IP address, browser information, device information, referring pages and interaction with the site; and
- information you provide when contacting Pathology Uncertainty.
Please do not submit confidential clinical information, patient-identifiable information or information requiring a clinical response through this website, its comments or newsletter replies.
How information is used
Personal information may be used to:
- send The Laboratory Quality Briefing and other updates that a subscriber has specifically requested;
- administer subscriptions and process confirmation, management and unsubscribe requests;
- understand newsletter delivery and engagement;
- respond to enquiries and comments;
- operate, secure and improve the website; and
- maintain records of consent, withdrawal or objections where necessary.
The newsletter is an educational and professional information service. Subscriber information will not be sold.
Legal basis
The principal legal basis for sending newsletter emails is your consent. You may withdraw that consent at any time by using the unsubscribe link included in each newsletter.
Information required for website administration, security, responding to enquiries and maintaining appropriate records may be processed where necessary for legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights.
Where consent is required for non-essential cookies or similar technology, information will be processed on the basis of that consent.
WordPress.com and Jetpack
This website uses services provided by WordPress.com, Jetpack and Automattic. These services support website hosting and operation, subscriber management, email delivery, security, comments and site or newsletter statistics.
When you subscribe using WordPress.com or Jetpack, Automattic normally collects your email address and associated subscription information. Automattic may also process technical and usage information in accordance with its own privacy arrangements.
Further information is available in:
- Automattic’s Privacy Notice for visitors to users’ sites
- Automattic’s Cookie Policy
- Automattic’s Privacy Policy
Automattic may process information outside the United Kingdom. Its privacy documentation explains the arrangements it uses for international processing and transfers.
Retention
Newsletter information is retained while you remain subscribed. If you unsubscribe or object to further messages, limited information may be retained where necessary to record and respect that request.
Comments and correspondence may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary for website administration, record-keeping, security or responding to the matter raised.
Retention by WordPress.com, Jetpack and Automattic is also governed by their applicable policies and service arrangements.
Your rights
Subject to applicable data-protection law, you may have rights to:
- request access to your personal information;
- ask for inaccurate information to be corrected;
- request deletion or restriction of your information;
- object to certain processing;
- withdraw consent;
- request transfer of information where applicable; and
- complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
You have an absolute right to object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing. The simplest way to stop newsletter emails is to use the unsubscribe link included in every edition.
Information about data-protection rights and complaints is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Changes to this notice
This notice may be updated when the website, newsletter, services used or legal requirements change. The current version and its revision date will be published on this page.