Privacy notice

What we collect

Before you sign up, nine yes/no questions to check this service is right for you. If we can't take you further, we keep nothing that identifies you.

If you continue: your name, date of birth, contact details, address and GP; your answers to standard ADHD, mood and anxiety questionnaires; your medical, psychiatric, family and substance history; a recording and transcript of your interview; your informant's answers, if you nominate one; and your clinician's notes and signed report.

Most of this is health data, which the law protects more strictly.

The interview is with an AI

The structured interview is conducted by a voice AI following a fixed script written by clinicians. It asks questions and records your answers. It doesn't assess you, score you or form any opinion. A registered clinician reads the transcript, speaks to you on a video call, and makes every clinical decision.

The interviewer's words are generated by an AI model, Anthropic's Claude, run through Retell AI, which also turns your speech into text and the interviewer's text into speech.

Recording

We record the interview as a standard part of how we deliver the assessment. The recording and transcript form part of your medical record and let your clinician check exactly what you said. Recording is standard, and assessments are not offered without it. Recordings are never used to make automated decisions about your care.

The interview is audio-recorded. Vela keeps the recording and the transcript as part of your clinical record, for the period under "How long we keep it". Retell AI, which runs the voice call, holds a temporary copy only long enough to pass it to us, and deletes the recording and transcript from its systems about ten minutes after the call ends.

Why we're allowed to process it

Performance of our contract with you (Article 6(1)(b)) and the provision of health care under the responsibility of a health professional bound by confidentiality (Article 9(2)(h)).

We don't rely on consent for your clinical record, because we're required to keep a proper record of your assessment and consent can be withdrawn.

Who we share it with

Vela is not an emergency service and does not monitor your record outside your assessment.

We never sell your data or use it for advertising.

Our service providers

Supabase (database, EU), DigitalOcean (application hosting, London, UK), including its network provider Cloudflare, Clerk (logins), Retell AI (voice interview), Anthropic (finding quotes from your record for your clinician), Resend (email), Stripe (payment, we never see your card details) and Calendly (booking your video consultation; it receives your name and email address and the time you choose, nothing about your assessment). Each processes data on our instructions under a written contract. Where a provider operates in the United States, the transfer is covered by the UK-US Data Bridge or by standard contractual clauses approved for UK use.

We also use the AI model to prepare first drafts of the factual sections of your report from your record. Your clinician checks, edits and signs every report.

How long we keep it

Your clinical record, including the recording, for 20 years after your last contact with us, in line with NHS retention standards for mental health records. Waitlist details for 12 months, or until you ask us to remove them.

Your rights

You can ask for a copy of your data, ask us to correct it, ask us to delete it, or object to particular processing. In some circumstances we cannot delete clinical records where retention is required for legal or healthcare purposes; if that applies we'll tell you why.

Email [email protected] and we'll respond within a month. If you're unhappy with how we've handled your data you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or 0303 123 1113.

Not an emergency service

If you need urgent help, call 999, or NHS 111 and choose the mental health option. Samaritans are free on 116 123, any time.