Cookies & Similar Technologies Policy
Effective date: 1 July 2024
Operator: Surgical Minds (operated by Sorena Afshar) (Surgical Minds, we, us)
Contact: admin@surgicalminds.com | 32a Front Street, Winlaton, Blaydon-On-Tyne, NE21 6DD, UK
This Policy explains how we use cookies, SDKs, pixels, tags, localStorage and similar technologies (together, cookies) on surgicalminds.com and related sub-domains (the Service). It should be read with our Privacy Policy.
We comply with the UK Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) and UK GDPR. That means we only place non-essential cookies with your consent. Essential cookies, required to provide the Service, may be used without consent.
1) What are cookies?
- Cookies are small files stored on your device by your browser.
- LocalStorage/SessionStorage store data in your browser for site functionality.
- Pixels/Tags are tiny images or code snippets that track events (e.g., page views).
- SDKs are code libraries embedded in mobile apps for analytics or functionality.
2) How we use cookies (categories & lawful basis)
| Category | What it does | Consent? | Lawful basis (UK GDPR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | Core site functions (security, load balancing, payments, login, cookie preference storage). | No (PECR exemption) | Legitimate interests/ Contract |
| Preferences | Remember choices (e.g., language, audio settings). | Yes | Consent |
| Analytics & performance | Understand usage, improve content and stability. | Yes | Consent |
| Marketing/advertising | Measure campaigns, show relevant content/ads. | Yes | Consent |
We won't set non-essential cookies until you choose Accept (you can also Reject all). You can change your choice at any time via Manage Cookies (see Section 6).
3) Cookies we use (examples)
Important: The list below is a template. After deploying your consent banner, run a cookie scan and update the table to reflect the actual cookies/SDKs in use.
A) Strictly necessary (no consent required)
| Cookie / Tech | Provider | Purpose | Type | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| __cf_bm, cf_clearance | Cloudflare (if used) | Bot management, DDoS protection, access control | 3rd-party | Minutes to 30 days |
| __stripe_mid, __stripe_sid | Stripe (if used) | Payment fraud prevention and checkout | 3rd-party | 1 year / 30 minutes |
| cookie_consent (or similar) | Surgical Minds | Stores your cookie choices | 1st-party | Up to 12 months |
| Session ID (e.g., sid) | Surgical Minds | Keeps you logged in and maintains session state | 1st-party | Session |
B) Preferences (consent)
| Cookie / Tech | Provider | Purpose | Type | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sm_user_prefs | Surgical Minds | Saves interface and playback settings | 1st-party | Up to 12 months |
C) Analytics & performance (consent)
| Cookie / Tech | Provider | Purpose | Type | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| _ga, _ga_*, _gid | Google Analytics 4 (if used) | Usage analytics and performance insights (with IP masking) | 3rd-party | 24 months / 24 hours |
| _hjSessionUser_*, _hjIncludedInSessionSample_* | Hotjar (if used) | UX analytics and session sampling | 3rd-party | 12 months / 30 minutes |
| _clck, _clsk | Microsoft Clarity (if used) | UX analytics and heatmaps | 3rd-party | 12 months / 1 day |
D) Marketing/advertising (consent)
| Cookie / Tech | Provider | Purpose | Type | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| _fbp | Meta (if used) | Measure campaigns and site events | 3rd-party | 3 months |
| _gcl_au | Google Ads (if used) | Conversion measurement | 3rd-party | 3 months |
| Pixels (Meta/LinkedIn/X) | Relevant network | Campaign measurement, audiences | 3rd-party | Per network policy |
4) Mobile app SDKs (if you use our apps)
If you use our mobile apps, we may use SDKs for crash reporting, analytics or push notifications. SDKs operate like cookies in apps and are subject to opt-in consent where required. We list SDKs in our app privacy disclosures and can provide details on request.
5) Third-party cookies and international transfers
Some cookies are set by third parties. Those providers may process data outside the UK, including the EEA and the United States. Where that occurs, we rely on appropriate safeguards (e.g., UK adequacy decisions, UK IDTA / UK Addendum to EU SCCs) together with technical and organisational measures. See our Privacy Policy for more detail.
6) Your choices: give, refuse, or withdraw consent
- On first visit: our banner lets you Accept all, Reject all, or choose categories.
- Change your mind anytime: click Manage Cookies (link in the site footer) to revisit your settings and withdraw consent.
- Browser controls: you can also block or delete cookies via your browser/device settings (doing so may affect site functionality).
- We honour your choices and keep a consent log (date, categories, region) as required by PECR/UK GDPR.
7) Do Not Track
Most browsers offer a Do Not Track (DNT) setting. There is no single UK standard requiring DNT compliance; we rely on the consent choices you make via our banner and Manage Cookies.
8) Retention
We keep cookie data only as long as necessary for the stated purposes. Durations are shown in the tables above; analytics data is typically retained 12–24 months. Consent records are retained as required by law.
9) Updates to this Policy
We may update this Policy to reflect changes to cookies, providers, law or guidance. If changes are material, we will show an in-site notice or update the banner. The "Effective date" above tells you when this Policy last changed.
10) Contact
Questions about this Policy or your cookie choices?
Email: admin@surgicalminds.com
Quick implementation checklist
- Add a banner with equal-prominence Accept all / Reject all / Manage.
- Block all non-essential tags until consent.
- Provide a Manage Cookies link (footer) that opens a preferences centre with category toggles and clear descriptions.
- Enable IP masking and appropriate data retention in analytics tools.
- Run a cookie scan after every major release and update the tables above.
Last updated: 1 August 2025