If you wish to supply feedback or make a complaint, about our website or our services please do not hesitate to contact us by email to northgene@biofortuna.com
In a standard peace of mind paternity test, there is usually a sample provided by the mother, potential father and child.
If more people are involved, for example an additional child or potential fathers, they will also need to provide a DNA sample.
Please tell us the total number of people taking part in the test by selecting the appropriate drop-down box at the bottom of this page when submitting your booking.
Ideally yes, but it is possible to do a paternity test without a sample of the mothers DNA.
However, if there are two or more potential fathers, and they are related, we will require additional information. Please see the “Is this the right test for me section” at the foot of the booking form.
Also, if the potential father is not listed on the birth certificate, we will need the mothers written consent before proceeding.
If the mother is not providing a DNA sample, please tick the No box if asked as you submit the booking form.
DNA samples are taken by simply rubbing a test swab a few times on the inside of the cheek. This process collects a small sample of cells which is all we need to extract the DNA and run the Paternity Test.
A sterilised test swab for each of the people involved in the test is included in the DNA Testing Kit.
You don’t need to go anywhere, you can collect the DNA samples required for the test in the privacy of your own home.
One DNA Testing Kit includes everything you need for everyone providing a DNA sample at the same address. You would only need an additional DNA Testing Kit if one or more of the people providing a DNA sample live at a different address.
If one or more of the people providing a DNA sample live at another address in the UK or in a different country we can send a DNA Testing Kit to their address as well.
If this applies to you choose the appropriate selection from the ‘Delivery instructions’ below and let us know how many people are at the second address in the ‘Test Individuals at this Address’ dropdown so we can send the appropriate number of test swabs.
If you have more than two additional shipping destinations please contact our friendly customer liaison team to arrange this.
For a siblingship test, we will need a sample from each of the siblings invoved. We recommend where possible, that any available parents also participate in the test.
Please tell us the total number of people taking part in the test by selecting the appropriate drop-down box at the bottom of this page when submitting your booking.
Ideally yes, but it is possible to do a siblingship test without a sample of the mothers DNA.
If the mother is not providing a DNA sample, please tick the No box if asked as you submit the booking form.
DNA samples are taken by simply rubbing a test swab a few times on the inside of the cheek. This process collects a small sample of cells which is all we need to extract the DNA and run the Paternity Test.
A sterilised test swab for each of the people involved in the test is included in the DNA Testing Kit.
You don’t need to go anywhere, you can collect the DNA samples required for the test in the privacy of your own home.
One DNA Testing Kit includes everything you need for everyone providing a DNA sample at the same address. You would only need an additional DNA Testing Kit if one or more of the people providing a DNA sample live at a different address.
If one or more of the people providing a DNA sample live at another address in the UK or in a different country we can send a DNA Testing Kit to their address as well.
If this applies to you choose the appropriate selection from the ‘Delivery instructions’ below and let us know how many people are at the second address in the ‘Test Individuals at this Address’ dropdown so we can send the appropriate number of test swabs.
If you have more than two additional shipping destinations please contact our friendly customer liaison team to arrange this.
Below are NorthGene’s Terms and Conditions. These can be read online or downloaded in PDF format.
1. NorthGene™ Limited is registered in England under Company No 2914392. Our office is based in The Biosphere, Newcastle Helix, Newcastle NE4 5BX. Our laboratory is registered on the Ministry of Justice list of accredited bodies.
2. In these terms “sample” shall mean any biological sample accepted by NorthGene™ for DNA analysis. “DNA testing” and “DNA analysis” shall refer to any type of relationship analysis and shall be carried out using whatever genetic test(s) is/are deemed necessary by NorthGene™ Ltd and our Laboratory.
3. All fees payable for this service are quoted inclusive of VAT. The standard fee per person for a test will cover the provision of a sampling kit, the performance of DNA testing, the analysis of the test results and the provision of an electronic DNA report. The standard fee does not include:
i) Any fees or costs associated with either the taking of samples or their return to NorthGene;
ii) The attendance of an Expert Witness at Court hearings;
iii) Any extra scientific work required in forensic science investigations, or complex cases.
iv) Any additional reports or forms required following the closure of the case including statutory declarations.
4. Client means the individual, an authorised Legal Representative or other body requesting the services.
5. NorthGene™ will only carry out DNA testing when the following have been supplied:
i) Completion of our registration document
ii) Receipt of all samples relevant to the purpose for which the test is required.
6. NorthGene™ uses a number of ‘Decision Rules’ or cut off values when undertaking statistical DNA analysis for the purposes of relationship tests. Further information pertaining to these rules is available upon request.
7. Part-payment of the required fee is required prior to testing for immigration cases or, in a legal case, agreement to pay against an invoice sent out on registration. Investigations ordered by solicitors, courts or government agencies will be invoiced with payment due by 30 days from the date of invoice. Full upfront payment is required for all peace of mind testing.
8. NorthGene™ reserves the right to withhold the DNA report until payment is made in full. In legal cases it is the responsibility of the referring solicitor to ensure that full payment is made by all parties.
9. If an invoice remains unpaid at the end of the period of grace, an additional administrative fee will be added of 10% of the sum total excluding VAT. After a further 30 days, interest at 2% per month will be added.
10. NorthGene™ does not accept responsibility for the acts or omissions of external samplers (e.g. doctors/nurses/Embassies) or external handlers of samples.
11. NorthGene™ reserves the right to request further samples at the expense of the person requesting the DNA analysis in cases where the quantity or quality of the sample received is not adequate or does not comply with the instructions issued with the testing kit.
12. NorthGene™ will endeavour to produce a report within a reasonable time but cannot accept any responsibility for any delay however occasioned.
13. NorthGene™ will undertake the DNA analysis on the understanding that the final report will be made available to all persons who have provided a sample(s) or who have a lawful interest in the outcome of the test and to any Court that has ordered the analysis or disclosure of the report, unless instructed not to do so. Reports will only be disclosed in writing.
14. Any sample will not be released to any other person or organisation without the donor’s written consent or a Court order.
15. Records will be retained for a minimum of one year from completion of testing, or in the event that samples are not received within this time frame, the case file will be closed. Samples will be destroyed after six months from completion of testing.
16. In the event that you wish to cancel a case after you have registered with us a cancellation charge plus VAT will be levied. The amount of this charge will depend upon the level of work that we have completed up to and including the date of such cancellation. Peace of mind cases are non-refundable. Cancellation charges for all other cases range from £95 to the full amount of the test.
17. In the event of the client, or any individual required to attend by the client, not attending a pre-arranged sample collection appointment or not giving at least 24 hours’ notice of cancellation a fee of £30 inc VAT shall be payable by the client.
18. The Service Provider shall be entitled to use data, results and any surplus samples submitted in any studies relating to statistical and genetic parameters for DNA testing but only in an anonymous manner to prevent the identity of any individual being traceable. Should the Client not wish the Service Provider to use its anonymised information in this manner, or wish to seek additional clarification as to what this entails, they must notify the Service Provider in writing by sending an email to northgene@biofortuna.com
If you wish to download a PDF of our DNA Testing Terms and Conditions please click this link.
© NorthGene™ 2022. All rights reserved
At NorthGene™ we understand that protecting the privacy of visitors to our website is very important. NorthGene™ respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.
This notice explains how and why we use personal information when you visit our website (regardless of where you visit it from), including any information you may provide when you use our ‘contact us’ form. It also provides details of how we use cookies and similar technologies to enable you to browse our website effectively.
Our website is not intended for children and we do not knowingly collect information relating to children without parental or guardian express written consent.
It is important that you read this privacy notice together with any other privacy notice or fair processing notice we may provide on specific occasions when we are collecting or processing personal information about you, so that you are fully aware of how and why we are using your information. This privacy notice supplements the other notices and is not intended to override them.
If you would like further details about how we protect your personal information at NorthGene™ , please email our Client Liaison Team at northgene@biofortuna.com or on +44 (0) 870 803 0999 and we’ll contact you as soon as possible.
We are NorthGene™ a trading name of Biofortuna Limited, registered in England and Wales 06514391.
NorthGene™ is the data controller and is responsible for your personal information. Our Compliance Officer is responsible for overseeing questions in relation to this privacy notice. If you have any questions about this privacy notice, including any requests to exercise your legal rights, please contact the Compliance Officer at northgene@biofortuna.com or on +44 (0) 191 233 1414.
You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues (www.ico.org.uk). We would, however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns before you approach the ICO so please contact us in the first instance.
Personal data, or personal information, means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. It does not include data where the identity has been removed (anonymous data).
We may collect, use, store and transfer personal information about you when you access our website and employ our services, as follows:
Where we need to collect personal information by law, or under the terms of a contract we have with you, and you fail to provide that information when requested, we may not be able to perform the contract we have or are trying to enter into with you (for example, to provide you with our genetic testing services). In this case, we may have to cancel a product or service, but we will notify you if this is the case at the time. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions for further information pertaining to the cancellation of tests.
We may also collect, use, and share Aggregated Data such as statistical or demographic data for any purpose. Aggregated Data may be derived from your personal information but is not considered personal information in law as it does not directly or indirectly reveal your identity. For example, we may aggregate your Usage Data to calculate the percentage of users accessing a specific website feature. However, if we combine or connect Aggregated Data with your personal information so that it can directly or indirectly identify you, we treat the combined data as personal information which will be used in accordance with this privacy notice.
We will only collect any Special Categories of Personal Data about you through our website with your express consent (this includes details about your race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life, sexual orientation, political opinions, trade union membership, information about your health and genetic and biometric data). We do not collect any information about criminal convictions and offences.
Our website uses cookies and web beacons. A cookie is a small piece of data that is automatically sent to your browser from a web server and stored on your device’s hard drive. Web beacons are small pieces of code which are placed on websites and emails. We use this information to collect visitor access and data preferences and to understand email campaign effectiveness. This enables us to offer a better website experience and help improve our services to you.
You can block cookies by activating the setting on your browser. However, if you use your browser settings to block all cookies (including essential cookies) you may not be able to access all or parts of our website.
You can find more information about the individual cookies we use and the purposes for which we use them in the table below:
| Cookie | Purpose | More Information |
|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics | To measure user interactions on our website and to collect, configure and analyse the performance of our website. | Google Privacy Policy |
We may collect personal information from you using the following methods:
We only ever use your personal information when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we will use your personal information in the following circumstances:
We have set out below, in a table format, a description of all the ways we plan to use your personal information, and which of the legal bases we rely on to do so. We have also identified what our legitimate interests are where appropriate.
Note that we may process your personal information for more than one lawful ground depending on the specific purpose for which we are using your information. Please contact us if you need details about the specific legal ground we are relying on to process your personal information where more than one ground has been set out in the table below.
| Purpose/Activity | Type of information | Lawful basis for processing |
|---|---|---|
| Provide and develop our products and services | (a) Identity (b) Contact (c) Financial Information (d) Biometric (e) Biological Sample (f) Genetic Information |
(a) Consent and Performance of a contract with you (b) Necessary for our legitimate interests (to develop our business) |
| Send you news and updates about NorthGene. We use Mailchimp to deliver and administer our newsletters. | (a) Identity (b) Contact (c) Technical (d) Usage |
Consent and necessary for our legitimate interests (to develop our products /services and grow our business) |
| Tailor our communications according to your preferences | (a) Identity (b) Contact (c) Usage (d) Marketing and Communications (e) Technical |
Consent and necessary for our legitimate interests (to develop our products / services and grow our business) |
| Progress and process your job application | (a) Identity (b) Contact |
(a) Consent (b) Necessary for our legitimate interests (to progress applications) |
| To monitor and analyse trends | (a) Identity (b) Contact (c) Usage (d) Marketing and Communications (e) Technical |
Necessary for our legitimate interests (to study how customers use our products/services, to develop them, to grow our business and to inform our marketing strategy) |
| To help improve our website (including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, system maintenance, support, reporting and hosting of data) | (a) Identity (b) Contact (c) Technical |
(a) Necessary for our legitimate interests (for running our business, provision of administration and IT services, network security, to prevent fraud and in the context of a business reorganisation or group restructuring exercise) (b) Necessary to comply with a legal obligation |
We will only use your information for the purpose it was collected, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason, and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If you wish to get an explanation as to how the processing for the new purpose is compatible with the original purpose, please contact us.
If we need to use your personal information for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and we will explain the legal basis which allows us to do so.
Please note that we may process your personal information without your knowledge or consent, in compliance with the above rules, where this is required or permitted by law.
We strive to provide you with choices regarding certain personal information uses, particularly around marketing and advertising.
We may use your Identity, Contact, Technical, and Usage Data to form a view on what we think you may want or need, or what may be of interest to you. This is how we decide which products, services and offers may be relevant for you (we call this marketing).
You will receive marketing communications from us if you have requested information from us or purchased goods or services from us and, in each case, you have not opted out of receiving that marketing.
We will get your express opt-in consent before we share your personal data with any company outside of NorthGene™ Ltd (and its group companies from time to time) for marketing purposes.
You can ask us or third parties to stop sending you marketing messages at any time by contacting us at any time. You can also click on the relevant link in any of our emails sent to you via Mailchimp. Where you opt out of receiving these marketing messages, this will not apply to personal information provided to us as a result of a product/service purchase, warranty registration, product/service experience or other transactions.
In addition, our service agreement with you permits NorthGene™ Ltd to use your data, results, and any surplus biological samples submitted in any studies relating to statistical and genetic parameters for DNA testing, but only in an anonymous manner to prevent the identity of any individual being traceable. Should you not wish NorthGene™ Ltd to use the anonymised information in this manner, or require additional clarification as to what this entails, please contact us.
We will never sell your personal information or share it with third parties who might use it for their own purposes without your express opt-in consent or as set out below.
Any third parties handling personally identifiable information, such as Mailchimp and our laboratory sub-processors, will act as data processor, on behalf of NorthGene. We do not allow our third-party service providers to use your personal information for their own purposes and only permit them to process your personal information for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.
We may have to share your personal information with the parties set out below:
We may share your personal information within NorthGene™ and its group companies from time to time. This may involve transferring your information outside the European Economic Area (EEA). We ensure your personal information is protected by requiring all our group companies to follow the same rules when processing your personal information. These rules are called “binding corporate rules”.
If you request a transfer of your personal information and this involves a transfer outside of the EEA the expectation is placed upon you as our customer to ensure that appropriate levels of data protection are in place by the data recipient.
We do not transfer your personal information outside the EEA for any other reason, but in the event that we do, we will ensure at least one of the following safeguards is implemented:
We employ reasonable technical and organisational measures to keep personal information safe and to prevent loss, misuse, and unauthorised access. These measures include encryption, firewalls, and password protection. It is, however, your responsibility to ensure that your device is adequately secured and protected.
We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so.
We will retain your data for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.
Our retention period will usually be 2 years from when we have fulfilled the purposes we collected it for. However, this may be adjusted when we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal information, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal information, the purposes for which we process your personal information and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements. You may request that your information is destroyed prior to this date by contacting northgene@biofortuna.com or calling the Client Liaison Team on +44 (0) 191 233 1414.
We want to ensure you remain in control of your personal information.
At any time you can contact us via northgene@biofortuna.com to:
We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal information (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a security measure to ensure that personal information is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it. We may also contact you to ask you for further information in relation to your request to speed up our response.
You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal information (or to exercise any of the other rights). However, we may charge a reasonable fee if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive, or excessive. Alternatively, we may refuse to comply with your request in these circumstances.
We try to respond to all legitimate requests within one month. Occasionally it may take us longer than a month if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests. In this case, we will notify you and keep you updated.
NorthGene.co.uk contains links to third party websites, plug-ins and applications. This privacy notice only applies to NorthGene.co.uk and does not cover any other websites or services that we link to. If you go to another website from this one, please read their privacy policy.
If you want to request any further details about this privacy notice or exercise your data subject rights, please contact us at: northgene@biofortuna.com
You can also contact us via telephone: +44 (0)191 233 1414 or you can write to us at: Compliance Officer 2 Tenth Avenue Deeside Industrial Park Deeside CH5 2UA.
Our privacy notice may be updated from time to time and the latest version will always appear on the NorthGene™ website.
This privacy notice was last updated on 24 March 2022.
✓ We share a mother and are unsure if we share a father
✓ We do not share a mother but think we may share a father
✓ One of us was raised separately so we need to check if we are related through either or both parent
⚠ We may be half siblings but one of us may also be a cousin – You need a Paternity/Maternity Test
⚠ We may be half siblings but one of us may also be an aunt or uncle – You need a Paternity/Maternity Test
✓ Potential fathers are unrelated
✓ Potential fathers are cousins or brothers – Include in Additional Information
✓ Potential fathers are father and son – Include in Additional Information
⚠ Potential fathers are related and the mother does not want to give a sample – Please call
