1. What cookies are

Cookies are small text records stored by a browser. They help a website remember a preference or understand whether a page request is part of a continuing visit.

Technically, a cookie is a small piece of text sent by a web server and stored by the visiting browser, then sent back to that same server on later requests so it can recognise the browser as belonging to the same visit or the same returning reader. Brelvan uses cookies sparingly, in keeping with the editorial nature of this website: there is no shopping basket, login area or personalised recommendation engine that would otherwise require a larger number of tracking technologies. Similar small storage technologies, such as local storage used by a browser, may be used in the same limited way as the cookies described below, and this policy treats them equivalently for clarity. UK law, specifically the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) as enforced by the ICO, requires that non-essential cookies are only set with a reader's consent, which is why the banner described in Section 2 appears before any optional technology is activated. Readers can find general background on how cookies work from the ICO's own guidance at ico.org.uk, independently of anything Brelvan publishes. Because brelvan.info is a static editorial build without a database of reader accounts, the number of distinct cookies in active use at any time is intentionally small, and this page is written to name every one of them individually rather than describing categories in the abstract. Where a cookie's name is generated automatically by underlying hosting infrastructure rather than defined by Brelvan directly, this page describes it by function and typical lifespan instead of by an exact literal name, since the precise value can vary by hosting configuration. This policy is reviewed alongside the Privacy Policy so that the legal basis described there for any given piece of information lines up with the specific cookie or storage technology described here.

  • (a) Strictly necessary cookies, such as the security session record described in Section 3, do not require consent under PECR.
  • (b) Preference cookies, such as cookieChoice, are set once a reader makes a choice in the banner, whichever option is selected.
  • (c) Optional analytics or marketing cookies would require explicit consent before being set, and none are currently in use on this website.
  • (d) Every cookie or equivalent storage technology currently in use on brelvan.info is named individually in Sections 2 to 4 below; none are grouped under a vague or unnamed category.
  • (e) This policy is reviewed together with the Privacy Policy to keep the legal basis and retention periods described in both documents consistent with one another.

2. Essential preference

The cookieChoice record stores whether a reader selected Accept All or Reject. It is retained for up to 180 days and is not used to identify a person.

This cookie is set the first time a reader interacts with the consent banner shown across every page of brelvan.info, and its sole purpose is to avoid showing the same banner again on every subsequent page load during the 180-day retention window. The value stored is limited to a simple flag reflecting the choice made, with no reader name, email address or browsing history attached to it, which is why it falls into the strictly necessary category rather than requiring separate opt-in consent. If a reader clears their browser cookies, deletes cookieChoice specifically, or visits from a different browser or device, the banner will reappear and a fresh choice will be recorded. After 180 days, the cookie expires automatically and the banner will be shown again so the reader's preference can be reconfirmed, consistent with good practice for consent freshness. This cookie is served directly by brelvan.info and is not shared with, or readable by, any third-party domain. In practical terms, this means a reader who visits from a work computer and later from a personal phone will see the banner on each distinct device, since the cookie is stored locally per browser and is not synchronised across devices by Brelvan. Because the value stored is limited to Accept All or Reject, it cannot be used to build a profile of what a reader has actually read on the site, and it has no connection to any newsletter subscription or contact-form submission a reader may separately make. The 180-day period was chosen as a conservative, reader-friendly window that is shorter than the typical maximum cookie lifespans referenced in ICO guidance, so that a returning reader's preference is periodically refreshed rather than persisting indefinitely.

  • (a) Name: cookieChoice. Type: first-party preference cookie. Lifespan: up to 180 days.
  • (b) Purpose: remembers whether Accept All or Reject was selected, so the banner is not repeatedly shown.
  • (c) Data stored: a single choice value only; no personal identifier, IP address or browsing history is included.
  • (d) Device scope: stored per browser and per device; a reader using multiple devices will be asked to make a choice separately on each one.
  • (e) Independence from other records: this cookie has no link to newsletter sign-ups or contact-form submissions, which are stored separately as described in the Privacy Policy.

3. Session records

A hosting session record may support secure delivery and basic request handling. Session records expire when the browser session ends or within 24 hours.

This type of record is generated automatically by the underlying web server infrastructure rather than by any Brelvan-specific script, and its purpose is limited to distinguishing one browsing session from another so that pages load correctly and securely, for example when a form is submitted. It does not track a reader across separate visits, does not build a profile of reading habits, and does not persist once the 24-hour window or the browser session itself ends, whichever happens first. Because this record is necessary for the website to function safely, it falls under the strictly necessary exemption in PECR and does not require a reader's consent through the banner. No advertising identifier, cross-site tracking pixel or third-party marketing cookie is set alongside this session record. Server logs connected to a session are handled under the retention periods described in the Privacy Policy, Section 4, rather than under this cookie-specific schedule. As a practical example, when a reader submits the contact form on the Contact page or the newsletter form on the homepage, this session record allows the underlying server to confirm that the submission genuinely originated from a page served by brelvan.info moments earlier, which is a basic safeguard against certain forms of automated abuse. Because the record exists purely for this technical purpose, selecting Reject in the consent banner has no effect on it, and there is no separate opt-out available for a strictly necessary technology of this kind, consistent with the PECR exemption referenced above. If a reader closes their browser entirely, the session record is discarded immediately, and a new one is generated automatically the next time a page on brelvan.info is loaded.

  • (a) Name: hosting session identifier (name assigned automatically by the hosting platform). Lifespan: end of browser session, or within 24 hours.
  • (b) Purpose: supports secure page delivery and correct handling of form submissions.
  • (c) Consent status: strictly necessary; not subject to the Accept All or Reject choice in the banner.
  • (d) Form security: helps confirm that a contact-form or newsletter submission originated from a page genuinely served by brelvan.info shortly beforehand.
  • (e) Discontinuity: the record is discarded when the browser is closed and a fresh one is generated automatically on the next page load.

4. Analytics

Brelvan does not activate optional analytics through this static editorial build unless a future version clearly explains the provider, purpose and retention period.

This means that, as things stand, no third-party analytics script, heatmap tool or advertising pixel runs on brelvan.info, and no analytics cookie is currently set regardless of whether a reader selects Accept All or Reject in the banner. If Brelvan introduces an analytics provider in a future version of the website, for example to understand which articles are read most often, that provider will be named specifically in this section, together with the exact cookie names it sets, its approximate retention period, and whether it processes information outside the United Kingdom. Any such change would only take effect after this policy is updated and, where analytics cookies are not strictly necessary, only after a reader has given consent through the banner described in Section 2. Readers who select Accept All today are not thereby consenting to a hypothetical future analytics tool; consent under PECR is specific to the technologies actually described in the version of this policy in force at the time. This conservative approach reflects the editorial, non-commercial focus of the website rather than a large-scale content platform requiring detailed audience measurement. Any future analytics provider considered by Brelvan would be assessed for its own data processing terms, including whether it transfers information outside the United Kingdom, before being introduced, and such an assessment would be reflected in an updated version of this Cookie Policy and the Privacy Policy together. Where a future analytics tool would rely on cookies that are not strictly necessary, the Accept All and Reject choice in the banner would apply specifically to that tool from the date it is introduced, and a reader who had previously selected Reject would not automatically be enrolled into it. Brelvan does not currently use server-side analytics, aggregated log analysis tools, or any similar technique that would functionally replicate cookie-based tracking without using a cookie itself.

  • (a) Current analytics cookies in use: none.
  • (b) Future analytics tools: will be named here, with cookie names and retention periods, before activation.
  • (c) Consent scope: limited strictly to the technologies described in the version of this policy a reader last accepted.
  • (d) Assessment process: any future analytics provider would be reviewed for international data transfers before being added to this page.
  • (e) No cookie-equivalent tracking: Brelvan does not currently use server-side analytics or log-analysis techniques designed to replicate cookie-based tracking.

5. Preference controls

Readers can clear cookies in browser settings or select Reject in the banner. Clearing them may cause the consent banner to appear again.

Most browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge, allow cookies to be reviewed, blocked or deleted through their privacy or settings menu, and general instructions for each browser are published by the browser makers themselves rather than by Brelvan. Selecting Reject in our banner prevents any optional technology from being set, though it does not remove the strictly necessary session record described in Section 3, since that record is required for the website to function correctly and securely. A reader who blocks all cookies at the browser level may find that the banner reappears on every visit, since the cookieChoice preference itself cannot be remembered without at least one cookie being stored. Where a reader wants to confirm exactly what has been stored by brelvan.info in their own browser, most browsers offer a way to inspect cookies by domain through their developer or privacy tools. These controls sit alongside, rather than replace, the broader data subject rights described in the Privacy Policy, such as the right to ask what personal information we hold. Mobile browsers typically offer equivalent controls, usually located within the device's own settings application rather than inside the browser itself, and the exact menu path varies between iOS and Android and between browser versions, so a reader is encouraged to consult their device manufacturer's current published instructions rather than relying on this page for step-by-step navigation. Private or incognito browsing modes offered by most browsers prevent cookies, including cookieChoice, from persisting once that private session ends, meaning the banner will reliably reappear on the next private session regardless of an earlier choice. None of the controls described in this section affect information a reader has separately and knowingly provided through the contact form or newsletter sign-up, which are handled under the Privacy Policy rather than under this Cookie Policy.

  • (a) Browser-level control: cookies can be reviewed, blocked or deleted through each browser's own privacy settings.
  • (b) Banner control: selecting Reject prevents optional cookies from being set on that visit.
  • (c) Limitation: fully blocking all cookies may cause the consent banner to reappear repeatedly, since no preference can then be remembered.
  • (d) Mobile devices: equivalent cookie controls are usually found in device-level settings; exact steps vary by device and browser version.
  • (e) Private browsing: cookies set during a private or incognito session, including cookieChoice, do not persist once that session ends.

6. Contact and updates

Questions can be sent to [email protected]. This page was reviewed on 24 September 2026 and may change with the platform.

We aim to acknowledge a cookie-related question within five working days, and will explain the current cookie position in plain terms if any part of this policy is unclear. This page is reviewed alongside the Privacy Policy and is expected to be updated at least annually, or sooner if a new cookie, session technology or analytics tool is introduced. Where the update is material, such as the future introduction of an analytics cookie described in Section 4, the reviewed date shown above will change and, where practical, the update will be highlighted on the homepage. Readers can also raise a cookie-related concern with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by telephone on 0303 123 1113, which is the independent UK regulator responsible for enforcing PECR and the UK GDPR. The current version of this page displayed on brelvan.info always takes precedence over any earlier saved or printed copy a reader may hold. A dated internal log of changes to this Cookie Policy is maintained by Brelvan Health Ltd for at least three years, recording what changed and why, in the same way as the equivalent log described in the Disclaimer, so that the history of this page can be reconstructed if needed. Where a reader's question concerns a specific cookie named in Sections 2 to 4 rather than the policy generally, including a request to understand exactly what a given cookie stores, we will address that specific point directly in our reply rather than repeating this page in full. This page, together with the Privacy Policy, forms the complete description of how cookies and equivalent storage technologies are used on brelvan.info; no separate unpublished cookie practice is in operation.

  • (a) Contact: [email protected], or by post to Brelvan Health Ltd, 22 Bold Street, Liverpool L1 8DQ.
  • (b) Response target: acknowledgement within five working days for cookie-related queries.
  • (c) Independent regulator: the ICO, contactable at ico.org.uk or 0303 123 1113, for unresolved concerns.
  • (d) Change log: a dated internal record of updates to this page is retained for at least three years.
  • (e) Completeness: this page and the Privacy Policy together describe every cookie practice in use on brelvan.info; no undisclosed practice is in operation.