Patient initiated follow-up (PIFU)

About PIFU

PIFU is a way of managing follow-up appointments.

If a patient has been treated in hospital or has a longer-term condition that is treated by a hospital service, we would typically book follow-up appointments to see how they are getting on. These are booked in for a specific date and time.

Instead of this, we are offering some patients the option of not having a follow-up appointment booked in or, for patients with longer-term conditions, having regular appointments less frequently.

Instead, patients contact us only if the need to. This is called patient initiated follow-up (PIFU).

PIFU means that you book an appointment or contact a specialist if you have symptoms relating to your condition.

How it works

If your specialist thinks you would suit PIFU, they will explain it to you. You can agree to PIFU or choose to have a routine follow-up appointment on a set date instead.

If you choose PIFU:

• We will tell you the timescales involved. This will depend on the procedure or condition you are being treated for.
• We will explain when to contact us. This will be if you get certain symptoms or do not recover as we expect. If you develop another, unrelated health problem, you still have to get help in the usual way (such as contacting your GP or NHS 111)
• We will explain what to look out for.
• If you get any symptoms or have concerns about your condition you should contact us, tell us you are on PIFU, and explain your symptoms.
• We will then contact you within three days to offer you an appointment.
• If you do not need to contact us, you will either be discharged from the care of the hospital or if you have a longer-term condition, you will see us at your next follow-up. If we discharge you, you then need to contact your GP for any future problems.

Who is offered PIFU?

Not all patients will be offered the option of PIFU. It is only suitable for patients who are able to:

• self-manage their condition by looking out for specific symptoms
• contact us when they need an appointment

Benefits of PIFU

There are many benefits to this way of follow-up.

• With PIFU, you still have full access to support from a hospital specialist when you need it
• You only book an appointment or contact a specialist whe you have symptoms relating to your condition
• You are in control of when you get care and treatment
• You may spend less time attending hospital appointments
• Feedback from patients using PIFU is that they avoid unnecessary trips to hospital. This saves them time, money and stress.
• Research has shown that planned follow-up appointments do not help to prevent conditions returning or lead to new problems being identified.

Why you have been offered PIFU

You and your hospital specialist have agreed that PIFU is the best option for you.

It is important that you look out for changes in symptoms and that you are confident to contact us about them.

How to book a PIFU appointment

If you have any worrying symptoms or feel concerned about your condition, contact the relevant department and say that you are on PIFU. They will:

• ask you to describe your symptoms
• ask if you have any special requirements that we need to take into account when we organise your appointment
• pass this information to the specialist team.

You will not be given any clinical advice during these initial contacts.

The department will get in touch with you within 72 hours (3 days) to arrange a phone or face-to-face appointment.

Tell us straight away if your situation changes and you no longer need your appointment or need to change your appointment date. We will then be able to offer your appointment to someone else.

If you do not call for a PIFU appointment

If you do not call for a PIFU appointment:

• You will be discharged automatically after a specified period of time, normally six months. Your specialist team will tell you the exact timeframe

OR

• If you have a longer-term condition or illness, you will still have regular appointments with us but they will not happen as frequently; there is more time between routine appointemnts. Your specialist will tell you how often these will take place.

If you have a special communication need

Tell your hospital department or ask someone else to contact us if you have a special communication need. We will offer information and communication in a format that you find easy to use and understand.

Tell us whether an online or face-to-face appointment will best meet your needs.