Text to Speach Symbol
RSS Logo
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust logo

UHBW NHS

Cookies

Last updated: 01/04/2020

Understanding how and why we use cookies

We use cookies to store information on your computer to improve your experience of our site. One of the cookies is essential for the operation of the site and has already been set. You may delete and block all cookies from this site but parts of it may not work. You can find out more about the cookies we use and how to delete them below.

What are cookies?

A cookie is a small text file that is stored on your computer or device when you visit a website and is used by all websites. Cookies have different functions. At a basic level cookies will:

  • Allow the site to work properly and help keep it secure.
  • Help us understand how people use the website.
  • Make the site easier to use by remembering information that you've entered.
  • Improve your experience by showing you information that's relevant to you.

Our Cookies

The cookies we use let our sites do the following:

  • eMag Cookie- Type: eMag Cookie Acceptance Cookie Name: AcceptCookies
    Description: This cookie is used to record if the user has accepted cookies from the site. It is retained for a period of one year.
  • NET Session Id- cookie name: ASP.NET_SessionId
    Description: This cookie is essential for the operation of the site. It is set by the .NET framework to record the user’s current session between page requests. It does not contain any personally identifiable information and is deleted when the user closes the browser.
  • Polls- Cookie Name: Poll[n]
    Description: This cookie records which polls have been voted on during a visit to the site. It records a value indicating an option was selected and does not record any personally identifiable data. The cookie is retained for a period of two months.

Types of Cookies

Session Cookies

Session Cookies are temporary cookies that remain in the cookie file of your browser until you leave the site. This information is not stored after you have left the site.

Persistent cookies

Persistent cookies remain in your browser for much longer (though how long will depend on the lifetime of the specific cookie but this may be indefinitely or until deleted).

Third party cookies 

Third party cookies are cookies stored in your browser by third party websites which may be used to provide additional services to you via our website.

Third party sites

Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. Google Analytics is one such third party website which sets a cookie in order to evaluate your use of websites. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) is transmitted to Google. This information is then used to evaluate visitors’ use of the website and to compile statistical reports on site activity for us.

We may use services such as YouTube for embedding our video content into our website. Information on how YouTube, and other common third party websites use cookies can be found on their respective websites: 

How to control and delete cookies 

We will not use cookies to collect personally identifiable information about you. However, if you wish to restrict or block the cookies which are set by our site, you can do this through your browser settings.

For more information on how to control and delete cookies, you may wish to visit About Cookies which contains comprehensive information on how to do this on a wide variety of web browsers. You will also find details on how to delete cookies from your machine as well as more general information about cookies.

Please be aware that restricting cookies may cause our website to work incorrectly.

If you wish to view your cookie code, just click on a cookie to open it. You'll see a short string of text and numbers. The numbers are your identification card, which can only be seen by the server that gave you the cookie.

For information on how to do this on the browser of your mobile phone you will need to refer to your handset manual.

How to disable cookies 

You can stop cookies being downloaded on to your computer by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser. However, please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this site.

There is more information about cookies, including how to delete them on the website About Cookies. For more information on the cookie set by Google Analytics please go see Google's privacy policy. To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites please go to Google's opt out page.