Backup & Disaster Recovery
How RxSure protects pharmacy and clinic data with automated backups, UK-only data residency, and a documented recovery framework aligned with CQC, NHS DSPT, and UK GDPR.
Effective: August 2026 · Version 2.0 · Next review: February 2027
What Does This Policy Cover?
This policy sets out the backup, retention, and disaster recovery procedures for the RxSure platform. RxSure is a cloud-hosted pharmacy management system used by community pharmacies, distance-selling pharmacies, clinics, and clinical services across the United Kingdom.
This policy satisfies the requirements of the following regulatory frameworks:
- CQC Regulation 17, Good Governance (Health and Social Care Act 2008)
- CQC Regulation 12, Safe Care and Treatment
- UK GDPR & Data Protection Act 2018, Article 32 (Security of Processing)
- NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT), Version 8
- GPhC Standards for Registered Pharmacies, Principle 1 (Governance)
- DCB0129, Clinical Risk Management (Manufacturer)
This policy applies to all data held within the RxSure platform, including patient records, prescription data, clinical notes, dispensing records, and system configuration.
What Are RxSure's Recovery and Backup Targets?
| Metric | Target | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Database Backup Frequency | Every 6 hours | Automated scheduled dump of all clinical, dispensing, and patient records |
| Full System Backup | Every 24 hours | Complete snapshot including database, stored documents, patient files, and system configuration |
| Offsite Retention | 90 days | Extended retention for compliance, audit, and disaster recovery at secure UK location |
| Recovery Time (RTO) | ≤ 4 hours | Maximum time to restore full platform functionality from the point recovery is initiated |
| Max Data Loss (RPO) | 6 hours | Maximum potential data loss for database records, governed by backup cycle |
| Data Residency | UK Only | All production and backup data held exclusively within UK data centres |
How Often Does RxSure Back Up Data?
| Backup Type | Scope | Frequency | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Database | All clinical, dispensing, and patient records | Every 6 hours | Automated scheduled dump |
| Full system | Database + stored documents + patient files + system config | Daily | Full snapshot |
| Offsite replication | All backup sets | Same schedule as above | Encrypted transfer to secure offsite UK location |
All backup processes are fully automated. No manual intervention is required for scheduled backups to execute. Backup status is monitored continuously via the RxSure administration console.
How Long Does RxSure Retain Backup Data?
| Storage Location | Retention Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Production server (local) | 30 days (rolling) | Full month of local restore points for rapid recovery |
| Offsite (secure UK location) | 90 days | Extended retention for compliance, audit, and disaster recovery |
Clinical Record Retention
Patient and clinical records within the RxSure platform are retained in accordance with the NHS Records Management Code of Practice 2021:
- Patient consultation records: Minimum 10 years from last contact
- Records for minors: Until the patient reaches age 25, or 10 years from last contact, whichever is longer
- Private prescription records: Minimum 2 years (Medicines Act 1968), recommended 8 years
- Controlled drug registers: Minimum 2 years from last entry (Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001)
Deletion of patient records is handled in accordance with UK GDPR data minimisation principles and is subject to appropriate authorisation and audit logging.
How Quickly Can RxSure Recover From an Outage?
Recovery Objectives
| Metric | Target | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery Time Objective (RTO) | 4 hours | Maximum time to restore full platform functionality from the point recovery is initiated |
| Recovery Point Objective (RPO), Database | 6 hours | Maximum potential data loss for database records (governed by backup cycle) |
| Recovery Point Objective (RPO), Full System | 24 hours | Maximum potential data loss for a complete system rebuild including all documents |
Recovery Scenarios
| Scenario | Recovery Source | Expected Time |
|---|---|---|
| Database corruption or loss | Most recent 6-hourly backup (local or offsite) | Less than 1 hour |
| Server hardware failure | Full system snapshot from offsite storage | 2 to 4 hours |
| Complete data centre loss | Offsite backup to new infrastructure | Up to 4 hours |
| Ransomware or cyber incident | Clean offsite backup (isolated from production) | 2 to 4 hours |
How Is Backup Data Secured?
Encryption
- In transit: TLS 1.3 for all data transfers, including backup replication
- At rest: AES-256 encryption for all stored backup data
Access Control
- Backup systems are accessible only to authorised RxSure infrastructure personnel
- Access is controlled via role-based permissions with multi-factor authentication
- All access to backup data is logged with full audit trail
- Client pharmacy staff do not have direct access to raw backup files
Data Residency
- All production and backup data is held exclusively within UK data centres
- No patient data is transferred outside the United Kingdom
- Offsite storage is hosted within UK-based data centre infrastructure
What Happens If RxSure Goes Down?
The RxSure platform includes built-in continuity measures that mean your pharmacy can keep operating even during a platform outage:
- Email-based continuity: During normal operation, prescriptions, patient consultations, and daily booking schedules are sent to the pharmacy email as they happen. GP notifications are sent directly to the surgery automatically, with a backup copy to the pharmacy. If the platform becomes unavailable, this information is already in the pharmacy inbox. The platform is not a single point of failure for daily clinical operations.
- Automated daily booking emails: A full list of the next day's bookings is sent at 10 PM, with a same-day confirmation at 8 AM, so staff always have a complete schedule available outside the platform.
- Offsite backup isolation: Backup copies stored on separate infrastructure within the UK, so they remain available even if the primary server is compromised.
- Documented recovery playbook: Step-by-step procedures for each failure scenario, enabling any trained member of the infrastructure team to execute recovery.
- Monitoring and alerting: Automated monitoring of backup job completion with immediate alerts on failure.
- Fallback procedures: Documented guidance for pharmacy and clinic staff on maintaining essential services during any period of system unavailability. See our full System Unavailability Fallback Procedures guide.
How Does RxSure Test Its Recovery Procedures?
Backup Monitoring
- Backup job status is monitored in real time via the RxSure administration console
- Automated alerts are raised for any backup job failure or delay
- Backup completion logs are reviewed as part of daily operational checks
Recovery Testing
- Full restore tests are conducted quarterly, exceeding the NHS DSPT annual minimum requirement
- Test results, including time to restore and data integrity verification, are documented and retained
- Any issues identified during testing are recorded and remediated within 30 days
Which Certifications and Standards Does This Policy Support?
Regulatory Mapping
| Requirement | Standard / Regulation | How Addressed |
|---|---|---|
| Secure record storage | CQC Regulation 17 | Encrypted backups, access controls, audit logging |
| Data availability | UK GDPR Article 32 | Offsite replication, 4-hour RTO, tested recovery |
| Records retention | NHS Records Management Code | 10-year minimum clinical record retention |
| Business continuity | GPhC Principle 1 / NHS ToS | Documented BCP, offsite backups, fallback procedures |
| Clinical risk management | DCB0129 | Risk assessment, hazard log, recovery scenarios |
| Data residency | NHS DSPT v8 | All data held in UK data centres |
| Recovery testing | NHS DSPT v8 | Quarterly documented restore tests with results retained |
| Penetration testing | Cyber Essentials / DSPT | Penetration testing conducted and reported |
Who Is Responsible for Backup and Recovery?
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| RxSure Infrastructure Team | Backup configuration, monitoring, recovery execution, testing |
| RxSure Data Protection Lead | Policy ownership, DSPT submission, compliance audits |
| Client Pharmacy (Superintendent) | Ensuring local SOPs reference this policy; reporting data incidents promptly |
Questions About This Policy?
For questions about this policy, to request a formal signed statement, or to report a data incident:
- Email: contact@rxsure.co.uk
- Website: rxsure.co.uk
This policy is reviewed at least annually or following any significant change to backup infrastructure. The next scheduled review is February 2027.
Backup & Recovery FAQs
All RxSure data, including production databases and backup copies, is stored exclusively within UK data centres. No patient data is transferred outside the United Kingdom at any point. This includes both the primary hosting environment and our offsite backup infrastructure, which uses separate UK-based data centre facilities.
Full restore tests are conducted quarterly, which exceeds the NHS DSPT requirement for annual testing. Each test verifies both the time to restore and the integrity of the recovered data. Test results are documented and retained as part of our compliance records.
If you end your subscription, we provide a full data export in a standard format. After the agreed retention period and any applicable regulatory minimums, your data is securely deleted from both our production and backup systems. Clinical records may need to be retained for the minimum periods set by the NHS Records Management Code of Practice.
Yes. We provide summaries of our latest disaster recovery test results to pharmacy partners, NHS organisations, and regulatory bodies on request. Contact us at contact@rxsure.co.uk.
Yes. A Data Processing Agreement is available for all pharmacy partners. The DPA covers the specific data processing activities carried out by RxSure as a data processor on behalf of your pharmacy. Contact us to request a copy.