Innovation for young allergy sufferers
Patients and their carers can now initiate their own appointments as and when they are needed (e.g. during a flare-up of their symptoms) in place of routine follow-ups following a great collaborative project within the paediatric allergy service.
The Patient Initiated Follow Up (PIFU) approach helps empower patients to manage their own condition and take responsibility for arranging their appointments when needed. It also plays a key role in enabling shared decision-making and self-management in-line with the personalised care agenda.
The project team comprises outpatient department colleagues Sheena Merry, Janet Tulk, Adele Hunt and Jayne Smith, Consultant Paediatrician Natalia Cartledge and Transformation Manager Philippa May.
As well as improving patients’ access and experience of care, adopting a PIFU approach helps to reduce service waiting lists by reducing demand for follow up appointments.
Praise also goes to the Booking Team as a whole for their enthusiasm and input in helping support this initiative and in their readiness to prepare for when further specialties begin to offer PIFU to their patients.
PIFU will be available to paediatric allergy patients form the 1 March, 2021.
Further information about PIFU can be found on Roogle: https://roogle.royalsurrey.nhs.uk/outpatients-resources-hub