The Patient Initiated Follow Up Pathway for Patients and Carers:
What is patient initiated follow up?
After your recent consultation or treatment, your clinician has
discussed with you and agreed to put you on a pathway which allows
you to arrange (initiate) your own follow-up appointments. This is
called the patient initiated follow-up (PIFU) pathway.
How will the patient initiated follow up (PIFU) pathway help me?
PIFU allows you to make an appointment for your condition when
you feel you need it. This is within a fixed time period and for specific
reasons as agreed between you and your clinician. This means you
avoid having regular review appointments when you do not want or
need them.
You or your carer can make an appointment if you have concerns
about your specific condition or symptoms. Your first appointment
could be by telephone, video or face to face.
What symptoms mean that you need to initiate an appointment?
• Your clinician will have spoken to you about which symptoms
mean that you need to contact us for an appointment.
• Please see your clinic letter from this last appointment (your
PIFU commencement appointment outcome letter) for a list of
agreed symptoms for you to monitor.
You can use the box below to make a note of any symptoms to
monitor for this existing condition.
List of Symptoms:
•
•
•
•
When not to use your patient initiated follow-up (PIFU) pathway
It is important to remember that your PIFU pathway only relates to
the condition agreed above. You should not use your patient-initiated
follow-up (PIFU) pathway:
• If your concern is related to a different condition or symptoms
other than as agreed with your clinician, please contact your GP.
• If the time period agreed for your pathway has ended, please
contact your GP.
If you need urgent medical advice you should contact your GP
or NHS 111.
Details of your agreed PIFU Pathway
Consultation date: _______________________________________
Clinicians name:________________________________________
As agreed with your clinician you will be on your PIFU pathway for:
3 months
24 months
6 months
Indefinitely
9 months 12 months 18 months
If you have not contacted us within your time period, as shown
above, you will be discharged back to your GP’s care unless there
is an agreement to review your condition at the end of your pathway
and to discuss if discharge or further PIFU would be appropriate
(particularly management of long-term conditions).
If you need to be seen again after you have been discharged, you
will need to be referred to the service again by your GP.
How do I contact the hospital to get a clinic appointment?
Please see your clinic letter for details about when to contact the
service, and how to arrange (initiate) an appointment.
Your clinic letter will contain information specific to you and your
condition about:
• What symptoms would mean you need to initiate an
appointment.
• What symptoms would mean you should contact your GP
Practice.
• How to contact the hospital to get a clinic appointment.
