NHS told to let patients initiate follow-up appointments

Trusts are being encouraged to adopt a system in which patients initiate follow up appointments by the lastest guidance from NHS England designed to help the NHS recover from the covid crisis. 

It is hoped the approach can reduce unnecessary demand and therefore help trusts cut waiting lists that have soared as a result of the restrictions placed on hospital activity during the pandemic.

Under 'patient initiated follow up' (PIFU) patients decide when they require follow up appointments. They are given guidance as to what symptoms and other factors they should take into account when deciding if a follow up appointment is necessary. PIFU is already used by some trusts, but it has not yet become widely adopted. 

The plan to increase PIFUs was set out in a guidance published today designed to underpin the “phase three letter” sent out to NHS leaders last week.

The guidance, Implementing phase 3 of the NHS response to COVID-19 pandemic , says “individual services should develop their own guidance, criteria and protocols on when to use PIFUs”. The document also sets out some overarching principles.

It says services will be rated against the following headline metrics: “total number and proportion of patients on the PIFU pathway; patient outcomes, e.g. recovery rates, relapse rates; waiting times; and DNA rates”.

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Source: HSJ, 7 August 2020