Cookie Policy
Health Advice Specialist — Edinburgh
Last updated: January 2024
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit our website. They help us understand how you use Health Advice Specialist, remember your preferences, and improve your reading experience. Cookies do not identify you personally but work alongside other data to enhance our editorial content and site functionality.
By continuing to browse Health Advice Specialist, you consent to our use of cookies as described in this policy. You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time.
Types of Cookies We Use
Essential Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function properly. They enable basic features such as page navigation, accessing secure areas, and remembering your cookie preferences.
Examples: Session identification, security tokens, language selection
Analytics Cookies
We use analytics cookies to understand how readers interact with our content. This data helps our editorial team create better articles and improve site performance. Information collected is aggregated and anonymized.
Examples: Page views, time spent reading, device type, browser information
Functional Cookies
These cookies remember your choices and preferences to provide a personalized reading experience. They may store your article reading history, preferred article categories, or font size adjustments.
Examples: Saved preferences, article bookmarks, content filters
Marketing & Third-Party Cookies
We partner with third-party services for analytics and content delivery. These partners may set cookies to track your interests across websites. You can control these cookies through your browser or opt-out mechanisms.
Examples: Google Analytics, content delivery networks, analytics platforms
How We Use Cookies
- Improve Content: Understanding which articles readers engage with helps us create more relevant health advice content.
- Site Performance: Cookies help us monitor page load times, identify technical issues, and optimize website speed.
- User Preferences: We remember your reading preferences, such as article categories or layout choices.
- Security: Cookies help protect your account and detect unauthorized access attempts.
- Analytics: Aggregate data helps us understand traffic patterns and reader demographics without identifying individuals.
Managing Your Cookies
Browser Controls
Most browsers allow you to control cookies through settings. You can:
- • View cookies stored on your device
- • Delete specific cookies or all cookies
- • Block new cookies from being set
- • Receive notifications when cookies are placed
Note: Disabling essential cookies may affect site functionality and your ability to access certain features.
Popular Browser Instructions
Chrome
Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies and Other Site Data
Firefox
Preferences → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
Safari
Preferences → Privacy → Cookies and Website Data
Edge
Settings → Privacy → Cookies and Other Site Data
Third-Party Opt-Out
You can opt out of third-party marketing and analytics cookies:
- • Google Analytics: Use the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
- • NAI (Network Advertising Initiative): Visit the NAI Opt-out Tool
- • DAA (Digital Advertising Alliance): Use the DAA Opt-out Tool
Detailed Cookie List
| Cookie Name | Type | Duration | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHPSESSID | Essential | Session | Maintains user session and login status |
| cookie_consent | Essential | 1 Year | Records your cookie consent preferences |
| _ga | Analytics | 2 Years | Google Analytics - user identification |
| _gid | Analytics | 24 Hours | Google Analytics - session identification |
| _gat | Analytics | 1 Minute | Google Analytics - request rate limiting |
| user_preferences | Functional | 1 Year | Stores reading preferences and layout choices |
| article_history | Functional | 3 Months | Tracks recently read articles for recommendations |
| font_size_preference | Functional | 1 Year | Remembers your font size adjustment for readability |
| NID | Marketing | 6 Months | Google advertising cookie for personalized ads |
| IDE | Marketing | 2 Years | Google DoubleClick cookie for ad personalization |
This table includes the most common cookies used by Health Advice Specialist. Specific cookies may vary depending on which third-party services are active at any given time.
Data Protection & Privacy
We take your privacy seriously. Cookies do not directly contain personal information, but they may be linked to other data for analytics purposes. All data collection complies with applicable privacy regulations including GDPR and data protection laws in the United Kingdom.
Your Rights
- • Access: You have the right to know what data we collect via cookies
- • Control: You can disable cookies and manage your preferences
- • Deletion: You can request deletion of cookie data associated with your activity
- • Transparency: We clearly disclose what cookies we use and why
For more information about how we handle personal data, please read our full Privacy Policy. For content questions or data-related concerns, contact our editorial team.
Policy Updates
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, regulation, or our cookie usage practices. We recommend reviewing this page periodically. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was most recently revised.
Continued use of Health Advice Specialist following any policy changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Cookie Policy.
Questions About Cookies?
If you have questions about our use of cookies or how to manage them, please contact our editorial team. We're happy to provide additional information about our cookie practices.
This Cookie Policy is provided for transparency and informational purposes. Health Advice Specialist is an editorial publication dedicated to providing readers with reliable health information and advice.