Patient Initiated Follow-Up (PIFU)

How will PIFU work? 

PIFU is completely optional and should always be an agreement made between you and your healthcare professional and only when it is safe for you. You can change your mind and contact us at any time if PIFU isn’t right for you. 

Whether  you need a follow-up appointment in the future or whether your care should be transferred back to your GP, choosing a PIFU plan at this point, makes it easier to safely have less frequent follow-up appointments or avoid a ‘just in case’ appointment before your care is planned to transfer back to your GP.  PIFU makes it easier to contact us if you need to for help and advice – and an appointment if you need one.  

Choosing PIFU will depend on your health condition, your care and that you understand when and how to get in touch with the service again.  

If you are under the care of more than one service, your PIFU plan may not apply to all of them. Some of your care may need regular follow-up appointments and it’s important that you attend these.  

If I choose PIFU, when and how can I contact the service? 

Your healthcare professional will explain examples of when to contact the service, which will be specific to you and your health condition. This might be if your symptoms are changing, getting worse, or if you are having problems with your treatment. 

• Your appointment outcome letter will explain how to contact us. This may be by email or by phone directly to the service.
• You may also have received a link to use to contact us. 
• You can also call the patient services centre on 020 3313 5000 or email i.outpatientappointments@nhs.net 
•  Please say you are on a PIFU pathway or plan when you contact us. 
•  Please also provide your name, date of birth and NHS/hospital number (you will find this on your appointment letter). 

What happens after I contact the service? 

We will respond to you within five working days to arrange first-line support. 

This might be written advice, a phone call, video call or a face to face appointment. More information about appointments is here.

Alternatively, you and your healthcare professional may have agreed that contacting the service will not need a response and your PIFU pathway will not change.   

Is PIFU an easier way to contact the service for anything else? 

No – your PIFU plan only relates to changes in symptoms or treatment your healthcare professional has agreed with you. For anything else, such as symptoms or changes not described by your healthcare professional or in your appointment outcome letter or if you need urgent medical advice you should contact your GP or phone 111. 

How long does PIFU last? 

This will be included in your appointment outcome letter, which we send to you and your GP. The maximum PIFU pathway before your next appointment would be 36 months or three years. The maximum PIFU pathway before your care is transferred back to your GP would be 60 months or five years. 

What happens if I don’t contact the service? 

If you do not need to contact us, your PIFU pathway will continue until the end date you agreed with your healthcare professional. 

Like the majority of our patients who are waiting for a follow-up appointment, we will send a text message to your mobile number, at approximately three month intervals to ask if you still need the appointment.  

If you respond ‘NO’, your service will review your care and may transfer your care back to your GP.  By letting us know in advance that you don’t need your appointment, helps us to offer it to someone else who needs it.  

If you respond ‘YES’ or ‘UNSURE’, you will stay on the PIFU pathway and be invited to choose a follow-up appointment 6-8 weeks before the due date, through Choice Booking or the service’s current appointment booking process. 

Some services will send a letter with the appointment date – you may prefer this option or it may be a better option for your long term care which your healthcare professional has specified.  

Can I provide feedback? 

Your feedback helps us to continuously improve our services. If you recently had an outpatient appointment, please tell us how we did, using this link:  Feedback - complaints, comments and concerns 

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