Cookies are quite small text files, which are created when you arrive on a website and stored within your internet browser software. They can be passed in the opposite direction on future visits to a website.
The simplest use of cookies is as part of website analytics, to anonymously track user behaviour. This can help websites to improve content, or navigation and they are the only type of cookie in use on this website.
Other types of user focused cookies may make logging in easier, or provide personalised pages and generally make web browsing easier.
Many web cookies are however not so innocent, used for delivering ads, tracking users around the web, or other forms of monitoring which is not anonymous. This type of cookie has brought legislation to help users avoid them.
Most browser software, such as Chrome, or Firefox provides options to control cookie use, for individual websites, or via global settings.
Cookies On This Website
The only cookies used on this website are for Google Analytics, a well secured service, which does not in any event record personal data. The sole objective is to understand user behaviour and improve the website.
Three cookies are downloaded from our website, all supplied by Google:
- 1. Name: _ga – Which monitors visitor sessions and other site usage data. All information is anonymous, stored under a randomly generated number.
- 1. Name: _gid – This cookie stores further usage information, such as visitor numbers and country of origin. All data is again stored anonymously.
- 1. Name: _gat – A tiny file with the sole purpose of controlling request rates on high traffic sites. This cookie only stays in place for 1 minute.
Google have made significant changes to data collected by their analytics system, to comply with the EU’s GDPR regulations. A visitorís IP address can not be accessed through Google Analytics, all data is aggregated and anonymised.
Looking To The Future
We will naturally keep up to date with any changes in cookie use and requirements they bring. Using the web should be a safe, unintrusive experience.
Cookies are used on this site in a minimal way, because patient input matters to us and even web data can help the services a gastroenterologist offers. To an extent, web cookies help us to understand patient needs.
The Information Commissioner supplies helpful guidance on cookies, if you wish to delve further. Please be assured that as our privacy policy states, we are committed to the importance of confidentiality.