TErms and Conditions

Last updated: 24 October 2026

Welcome to the website of the British Intrapartum Care Society (BICS), www.bicsoc.org.uk.

These Terms and Conditions govern the use of our website and its content. By accessing or using the website, you agree to comply with these terms.

BICS is a professional society dedicated to promoting excellence in intrapartum care through education, research, collaboration and the sharing of good practice.

Visitors must use the BICS website lawfully, responsibly and in a manner that does not interfere with its operation or the experience of other users.

You must not:

• Attempt to hack, gain unauthorised access to, or interfere with the website, its servers, databases, accounts or associated systems.
• Attempt to bypass passwords, authentication procedures or other security measures.
• Introduce viruses, malware, ransomware or other harmful software.
• Conduct unauthorised vulnerability scanning, penetration testing or security assessments.
• Attempt to disrupt the website through denial-of-service attacks, excessive automated requests or other malicious activities.
• Access, collect, copy or extract personal information or restricted content without authorisation.
• Use automated tools, bots or scraping technologies to collect website content or information without prior written permission.
• Impersonate BICS representatives, members or other individuals.
• Upload, transmit or distribute unlawful, offensive, defamatory, misleading or harmful material.
• Use the website for fraudulent, unlawful or unauthorised commercial activities.

Unauthorised access to computer systems and other forms of computer misuse may constitute criminal offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, as amended.

BICS reserves the right to restrict access, investigate suspected misuse and report potentially unlawful activity to the appropriate authorities.

Nothing in these terms prevents lawful security research undertaken with BICS's prior written authorisation.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this website, including text, educational materials, images, graphics, logos, presentations and downloadable resources, belongs to BICS or its respective copyright holders.

Content may be accessed and downloaded for personal, educational and non-commercial professional use, subject to any restrictions accompanying individual materials.

Visitors must not reproduce, distribute, modify, sell or commercially exploit website content without appropriate permission.

The BICS name and logo must not be used in a manner that suggests endorsement, affiliation or authorisation without prior written consent.

Information provided on the BICS website is intended primarily for professional education, discussion and the sharing of knowledge relating to intrapartum care.

Although BICS aims to provide accurate and relevant information, website content may not always reflect the most recent clinical evidence, professional guidance or local policies.

Information published on this website does not replace independent clinical judgement, professional responsibilities or applicable national and local clinical guidelines.

BICS does not provide individual medical advice through its website.

Healthcare professionals remain responsible for their own clinical decisions and practice.

Certain areas of the website may be restricted to BICS members or authorised users.

Where member-only access is provided:

• Login credentials must be kept confidential and must not be shared.
• Members must not provide unauthorised individuals with access to restricted materials.
• Access may be restricted or withdrawn if membership expires or these Terms and Conditions are breached.
• Members must respect the confidentiality and intellectual property rights associated with restricted educational resources.

Additional membership terms may apply separately.

The BICS website may provide information about conferences, educational events, abstract submissions and other professional activities.

Registration, payment, cancellation and refund arrangements may be governed by separate terms provided at the point of booking.

BICS may use external providers for event registration, payments and abstract management. Users should review the relevant provider's terms and privacy information before submitting personal information or making payments.

The BICS website may contain links to external websites and services.

These links are provided for information and convenience. Unless expressly stated otherwise, BICS does not control or endorse the content, security or privacy practices of external websites.

Users access third-party services at their own discretion and should review the applicable terms and policies.

The British Intrapartum Care Society (BICS) is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of its members, website visitors, conference delegates and other individuals who interact with the Society.

BICS handles personal information in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, as amended.

Collection and use of personal information

BICS may collect personal information such as names, email addresses, professional affiliations, contact details, membership information and event registration details when individuals interact with the Society.

Personal information is used only where there is an appropriate lawful basis, including where necessary to administer membership, respond to enquiries, organise educational events, fulfil legal obligations and communicate relevant Society activities.

Confidentiality and security

BICS takes reasonable and appropriate organisational and technical measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

Access to personal information is restricted to authorised individuals and service providers where required for legitimate Society activities.

Sharing of information

BICS does not sell personal information to third parties.

Personal information may be shared with trusted service providers where necessary for website hosting, membership administration, event registration, communications or payment processing, subject to appropriate data protection safeguards.

Retention of information

Personal information is retained only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including applicable legal, financial and administrative requirements.

Individual rights

Under applicable data protection legislation, individuals may have rights to access, correct, erase or restrict the processing of their personal information, as well as to object to certain processing activities and request data portability.

Where processing is based on consent, individuals may withdraw that consent at any time.

Individuals may also raise concerns with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Cookies and website technologies

The BICS website may use cookies and related technologies to support its operation. Further information is provided in our separate Cookie Policy.

BICS aims to maintain a reliable and secure website but cannot guarantee uninterrupted access or that the website will always be free from technical errors or security vulnerabilities.

The website may occasionally be unavailable because of maintenance, technical problems or circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

BICS may modify, suspend or discontinue website features where reasonably necessary.

Visitors are responsible for taking appropriate precautions to protect their own devices and information.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, BICS shall not be responsible for losses arising from website interruptions, technical failures, reliance on general educational content or use of third-party services.

Nothing in these Terms and Conditions excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

Nothing in these terms affects any statutory rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.

BICS reserves the right to take proportionate action where these Terms and Conditions are breached.

This may include restricting website access, suspending member accounts, removing inappropriate content, contacting relevant service providers or reporting suspected unlawful activity to the appropriate authorities.

BICS may update these Terms and Conditions to reflect changes in website functionality, legal requirements or society activities.

The latest version will be published on this page with an updated revision date.

Continued use of the website following publication of revised terms will be subject to those terms, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales, subject to any mandatory legal protections that apply.

For questions about these Terms and Conditions, to report a security concern or to request permission to reproduce website materials, please contact BICS through the contact information available on our website.

British Intrapartum Care Society (BICS)