This information explains ways in which you can continue to access support and advice about your health following your Orthopaedic outpatient Follow up appointment.

What is patient initiated follow-up?

Patient initiated follow-up (PIFU) puts you in control of your follow-up appointment. By offering appointment bookings in this way, we hope to be able to respond to your needs more quickly. Instead of being offered regular visits, you can make an appointment to see us if you have worries or concerns following your consultation. 

You will be given ‘open access’ to the clinic for a period of up to 24 months from the date of your outpatient appointment, which means that if you are concerned about your condition or your medication, you can contact us and you will receive a remote (phone/video) or face-to-face consultation within two weeks. 

The reason we offer follow-up appointments this way is because most patients do not benefit from having a regular outpatient follow-up and many patients find the follow-up visits to the hospital can cause a lot of anxiety and unnecessary disruption. 

What should I expect?

After your appointment with the consultant or Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner, you may not need to have regular scheduled appointments at the hospital. In some specific cases your consultant may book you for further procedures or want to see you in their clinic personally to discuss potential further treatments or tests that you may require. If this is the case, you will already have been told about this and an appointment letter will be sent to you in the post.

When to book an appointment

A follow up appointment can be requested if you have ongoing concerns about your condition. If your condition changes significantly beyond that expected or if you require further information or clinical input that cannot be provided by your GP.

How to book an appointment

Please email RF-TR.OrthoPIFUbcf@nhs.net stating that you are on the PIFU pathway with a brief outline of your problem leaving your name, date of birth and hospital number. If you do not have email access, please contact our Orthopaedic PIFU pathway coordinator on 020 7830 2864. 

The hospital will send you a confirmation letter with the date and time of the appointment in the post. This ‘open invitation’ is open up to 24 months following your appointment unless specified otherwise. After this time, please contact your GP for a new referral.