Chatbot privacy
Main content
This page explains what Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Community Health‘s chatbot does with the messages you type into it.
What we keep, and why
We try to keep as little as possible. Specifically:
- When the chatbot answers your question with a built-in reply, we record only that an answer was given and which one. Your message is not stored.
- When the chatbot can’t answer — it doesn’t recognise the question, or our site search returns nothing — we keep an encrypted copy of your message for up to 90 days. We use it to spot common questions we should add to the chatbot, then it’s automatically deleted.
We don’t keep:
- Your IP address
- Your name or email
- The page you were on when you typed the message
- Your browser or device fingerprint
- Any cookies that identify you
How your message is stored
Stored messages are encrypted in our database using a strong, modern algorithm (libsodium / XChaCha20-Poly1305). They are decrypted only when our team reviews them to spot recurring questions and add new responses to the chatbot.
What you control
- Decline analytics cookies in our cookie banner and nothing will be logged — the chatbot still answers, but we don’t store any of your messages.
- Send “Do Not Track” from your browser for the same effect, regardless of cookie choice.
- Reset the conversation using the link inside the chatbot panel at any time. This clears the chat history that’s kept inside your own browser (it never leaves your device).
Please don’t share medical information or sensitive data
The chatbot is a navigation helper. It is not a clinician, and the people who later review unmatched questions are not clinicians either. Please don’t type:
- Medical details about you or anyone else
- Your NHS number
- Symptoms, diagnoses, or medication
- Anyone’s name or home address
If you need medical help, call NHS 111. In a life-threatening emergency, call 999.
How to contact us about your data
If you’d like to raise a concern about how the chatbot handles your messages, please get in touch via our Contact page.