Cookie policy

This policy describes how Ashfield Trading Ltd (trading as Medical Accountants UK) uses cookies and similar technologies on our website (the "Site"). Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We also use two other kinds of browser storage, called local storage and session storage, which work in a similar way, and this policy covers those too.

If you would rather not be measured at all, use the "Do not track me" button in the footer of any page. Section 4 explains what it does.

1. Cookies

We do not set any cookies of our own. The only cookies placed on your device through this Site come from Google Analytics 4, which we use to measure how the Site is used. Google Analytics is loaded only if you have not opted out, so if you have used the "Do not track me" button, no cookie is set at all.

When Google Analytics is running, it sets:

• _ga: distinguishes one browser from another. Expires after 2 years.
• _ga_CQF7KFZ1P6: keeps the state of your visit for our particular Google Analytics property. Expires after 2 years.

Google Analytics records information such as the pages you viewed, how long you spent on them, your browser and device type and where you arrived from. Google sets these cookies as an independent controller for some of its own purposes, and its handling of that data is governed by Google's privacy policy.

2. Our own analytics, and what we store in your browser

Alongside Google Analytics we run our own measurement. It does not use cookies. Instead, events such as a page view, a scroll, a click or a form step are sent to our own server and stored in our database, with two random identifiers attached so that a sequence of events can be read as one visit. Our hosting provider tells us the approximate country, region, city and time zone of the request. We never store your IP address. These events carry no name, email address or phone number.

To make that work, and to remember things like a prompt you have already closed, we store the following values in your browser. They are all first-party, none of them is shared with an advertiser, and all of them begin with ma_:

ma_consent (Local storage)

Records that you have used the “Do not track me” control, so we keep honouring your choice on later visits. This one is strictly necessary: without it we could not remember that you opted out.

ma_vid (Local storage)

A random visitor identifier for our own analytics. Not derived from anything you tell us.

ma_sid, ma_sid_ts (Session storage)

A random session identifier and the time of your last activity, so a visit can be counted as one visit. The session restarts after 30 minutes of inactivity.

ma_visits (Local storage)

A count of how many separate visits you have made, so we can tell a returning reader from a first-time one.

ma_entry_topic, ma_last_topic (Session and local storage)

The subject of the page you landed on, and the last subject you read about, so the guides and calculators we point you to match what you came for.

ma_journey (Session storage)

A short trail of the pages you have viewed in this session, used for the same tailoring.

ma_converted (Local storage)

A flag set when you have already sent us an enquiry, so we stop asking you to.

ma_booking_nudge, ma_booked (Local storage)

A short-lived token that lets you book a call back after an enquiry, and a flag that clears it once you have booked. The token carries no personal details.

ma_sticky_dismissed, ma_returning_bar_dismissed, ma_modal_shown, ma_deepscroll_<subject> (Session storage, except ma_deepscroll_<subject> which is local storage)

Records that you have closed or already been shown one of our prompts, so it is not shown again.

ma_assistant_active, ma_assistant_autoopened (Session storage)

Records that the help panel has opened once in this session, so it does not open itself again.

ma_calc_revealed… (one per calculator) (Session storage)

Remembers that you have already seen the result of a particular calculator, so you are not asked twice for the same one.

Local storage stays on your device until you or your browser clears it. Session storage is cleared when you close the tab. Our lawful basis for this measurement is our legitimate interest in understanding and improving the Site, which is why we offer an opt-out rather than asking you to agree before you can read anything. See our privacy policy for how we handle personal data more generally.

We also use Vercel Speed Insights, a page-speed measurement supplied by our hosting provider, which reports anonymous loading-performance figures.

3. What we use this for

• Understanding which pages are most useful to doctors, dentists and practice owners
• Identifying technical problems and broken links
• Measuring whether our guides and calculators actually help
• Pointing you to the guide or calculator that matches what you were reading

We do not use any of it for advertising or remarketing, and we do not sell it.

4. How to opt out

On this Site

The "Do not track me" button in the footer of every page is the control to use. Pressing it records your choice on your device and takes effect immediately: we stop loading Google Analytics, and we stop sending events to our own analytics, including the identifiers and visit history described in section 2. The same button then reads "Enable analytics" if you change your mind. Your choice is stored on the device and in the browser you used, so you would need to repeat it elsewhere.

A small number of the values in section 2 are not analytics and may still be written after you opt out, because their only job is to remember something you did on the page, for example that you closed a prompt or already revealed a calculator result. You can clear those at any time through your browser settings.

Browser settings

Most browsers let you block or delete cookies and clear site storage. Blocking everything may affect how some websites work. Instructions for popular browsers:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Safari
• Microsoft Edge

Google's own opt-out

Google also publishes a Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, which blocks Google Analytics across every site you visit. It does not affect our own analytics, so the footer button is the more complete option here.

5. Changes to this policy

We may update this cookie policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page shows when it was last revised.

6. Contact us

If you have questions about our use of cookies or browser storage, please contact us via our contact page. You can also read our terms of use.