Many patients with long-term conditions, or following hospital treatment, do not need regular follow-up appointments with our hospital team.
As part of the Outpatient Improvement Programme we have developed a patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU) service. This has been specifically designed for patients with long-term conditions or treatment to allow them to contact clinical teams if they feel they need to, rather than having a prearranged or regularly-scheduled appointment. This means you avoid unnecessary appointments, saving you time and stress.
If PIFU is available and suitable for you, the healthcare professional responsible for your care will discuss this option with you and, if you are happy, will place you on to the PIFU service. For information about PIFU+, please scroll down towards the bottom of this page.
How PIFU works
You will not be given a routine follow-up appointment as you may have been in the past, instead you will need to contact your service directly to arrange an appointment if and when you need one.
The healthcare professional responsible for your care will tell you what symptoms or complications after treatment to look out for that would mean you should make an appointment.
They will also provide you with the information you need on how to contact their service to arrange this if you need to.
You will also be told how long the PIFU service will be available to you. This will depend on what you are being treated for. If you do not need an appointment within the specified time period, you will be discharged from the service and your GP will be notified.
If you have any future symptoms you will need to contact your GP. They will re-refer you if you need to be seen again.
How do I book an appointment?
It is quick and easy to book an appointment when you need one.
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.
- Contact us within the timeframe advised by your healthcare professional following the information provided to you on the PIFU leaflet.
| Specialty name | Contact number | Opening hours (excluding bank holidays) | PIFU patient information leaflet |
| Arrhythmia clinic | 01438 284737 | Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm | Arrhythmia clinic leaflet |
| Breast | 01438 288616 | Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm | Breast information leaflet |
| Consultant Cardiology | 01438 288616 | Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm | Consultant cardiology leaflet |
| Ear, Nose and Throat | 07833 200 557 | Monday 10am to 12noon, Wednesday 2pm to 5pm, and Friday 10am to 12noon | Ear, Nose and Throat information leaflet |
| Elderly Care | 01438 284007 | Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm | Elderly Care leaflet |
| General Surgery | 01438 288616 | Monday to Friday, 8am-4pm | General Surgery 3-month leaflet General surgery 6-months leaflet |
| Gynaecology | 01438 288616 | Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm | Gynaecology information leaflet |
| Gynaecology Endometriosis | 01438 288616 | Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm | Gynaecology Endometriosis leaflet |
| Gynaecology Perinatal Pelvic Health Service | 07436 028437 | Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm | Gynaecology Perinatal Pelvic Health Service leaflet |
| Gynaecology – Recurrent Miscarriage Clinic | 01438 286172 | Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm | Gynaecology – Recurrent Miscarriage Clinic leaflet |
| Gynaecology and urogynaecology | 01438 288616 | Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm | Gynaecology and urogynaecology leaflet |
| Heart function clinic | 01438 284489 | Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm | Heart function clinic |
| Neurology | 01438 288616 | Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm | Neurology information leaflet |
| Ophthalmology | 01438 286222 | Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm | Ophthalmology leaflet |
| Oral and maxillo-facial surgery | 01438 288616 | Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm | Oral and maxillo-facial surgery 12-month leaflet |
| Pain management | 01438 288616 | Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm | Pain management leaflet |
| Plastic dressing clinic | 01438 284767 | Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 5pm | Plastic dressing clinic leaflet |
| Trauma and orthopaedics | 01438 288616 | Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm | Trauma and orthopaedics leaflet |
| Urology | 01438 288616 | Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm | Urology information leaflet |
| Vascular | 01438 288616 | Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm | Vascular leaflet |
PIFU+
What is a ‘patient-initiated follow-up plus (PIFU+)?
A patient-initiated follow-up plus, also known as PIFU+, means that you are in control of making your own follow-up appointments at a time when you need them, or when your circumstances change. On expiry of your PIFU+ timeframe (after 2 years), your condition will be clinically reviewed after which a decision will be made with you on the follow-up care you require.
How does PIFU+ work?
- You will have agreed with your healthcare professional that a PIFU+ is suitable for you. Your GP will be informed of this by letter.
- You will have access to the PIFU+ service for 2 years at a time. If you require a follow-up appointment during this time, you can contact the IBD helpline (see contact details below) without the need to be referred by your GP.
- Making an appointment is easy; you just need to call the telephone number provided on the back of this leaflet. You will be asked for your NHS number which can be found at the top of any hospital letter you have received.
- At the end of your PIFU+ pathway you will be clinically reviewed in either a telephone, video or face-to-face appointment. Your case will be clinically reviewed, and a decision will be made with you on the follow-up care you require.
When should I not use PIFU+?
You should not use PIFU+ for medical problems that are not related to inflammatory bowel disease. For anything else, your GP remains your first point of contact.
How do I book an appointment?
It is quick and easy to book an appointment when you need one.
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.
- Contact us within the timeframe advised by your healthcare professional following the information provided to you on the PIFU leaflet.
| Specialty name | Contact detail | Opening hours (excluding bank holidays) | PIFU+ patient information leaflet |
| Gastroenterology – Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) | 01438 285767 | Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm | Gastroenterology – IBD |
| CPAP/Sleep | 01438 286301 | Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4pm | CPAP/Sleep |
| Rheumatology | [email protected] | N/A | Rheumatology |
(Patient Initiated Follow Up) Patient video
Help us to improve your PIFU experience
We welcome your feedback on patients on our Patient-Initiated Follow-Up pathway. Please complete this short survey so we can assess and improve the quality of the services you receive. The survey will only take a couple of minutes and can be completed by you, your family members, or a relative.
