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Patient Initiated Follow-Up

 

Outpatients can now arrange their follow-up appointments as and when they need them thanks to an initiative being run at the James Paget.

Patient Initiated Follow-Up (PIFU) enables an outpatient to initiate an appointment when they need one, based on their symptoms and individual circumstances.

Traditionally, outpatients with chronic conditions or who have had surgery or treatment are typically offered hospital follow-up appointments following a routine schedule such as every six or 12 months.

Under PIFU, patients or their carers initiate care as and when they need it - such as a flare up of symptoms - rather than being automatically called back for an appointment, which they may not need.

For patients, PIFU puts them in control and offers them more choice over how and when they access care so it’s more convenient to them - saving them time, money and stress.

At the same time, it is hoped that PIFU can help reduce unnecessary follow-up appointments and the number of missed or cancelled appointments, while freeing up capacity for other patients who may need an urgent appointment or more time with their clinician.

Not all conditions will be suitable for a PIFU appointment, but it can be used with patients with long or short-terms conditions in a broad range of specialities, including trauma and orthopaedics, dermatology, gynaecology and respiratory.

Any decision to adopt a PIFU pathway will be agreed with the patient, who can choose to opt out and return to regular scheduled hospital appointments at any time.

If you think PIFU might work for you, ask us about it at your next appointment with us.

To arrange a PIFU appointment, you must:

  • have agreed with the healthcare professional responsible for your care that PIFU is appropriate for you and have been given the relevant information confirming you are on the PIFU pathway.
  • contact us within the timeframe advised by your healthcare professional.

Once you are on a PIFU pathway, it’s quick and easy to book an appointment when you need one - simply contact the details provided to you by the healthcare professional responsible for your care.

PIFU is being rolled out in hospitals across the country as part of an initiative being overseen by NHS England.

For more information, see the animation on this page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG8W7w1GO2k

A PIFU graphic which has green and white writing on a dark blue background. The graphic has the NHS logo top right and four photographs arranged toward the top left, with the words 'Take control of your follow-up appointment. With patient initiated follow-up (PIFU) you can request a follow-up appointment if and when you feel you need one. Talk to your clinician about whether PIFU is right for you. The photographs show an older man on a mobile phone, a woman looking at the screen of her phone, ayounger man in a wheelchair holding his phone in two hands and a parent and child looking at a laptop computer screen.