The updated rheumatology PIFU (Patient Initiated Follow-Up) guidance is now on NHS England and NHS Improvement’s FutureNHS platform. The document is aimed at clinicians, service managers and commissioners the guidance supports the appropriate, safe, and sustainable implementation and delivery of PIFU for people with rheumatological conditions who are under the care of adult rheumatology services.
See it on the FutureNHS platform (account required).
The guidance can be viewed in “draft” form at this link, once signed off, it will be published on the NHSE website.
Rheumatology PIFU patient ‘passport’
The rheumatology PIFU patient ‘passport’ or information leaflet is also available. It’s a resource that can support those implementing a more formalised version of PIFU within their rheumatology service.
It was put together at the request of a team who were implementing PIFU within their rheumatology service. It can be used in whole or in part. It can be transformed into a ‘PIFU passport’ by toping and tailing with the trust’s logo and an additional page to personalise it to the individual patient (to include signs and symptoms they should look out for and suggestions of when, and how, they should contact the team). Alternatively, it could be topped with a trust’s logo and printed as an A5 booklet. The information can also be put on the rheumatology page of an individual trust’s website.
The document can be accessed via the future.nhs.uk site (account required).