The Department for Health and Social Care is planning to use the NHS App to expand the role of patient initiated follow up (PIFU) in the health service.
Public Health and Prevention Minister Ashley Dalton revealed the plan in response to a parliamentary question from Labour MP Peter Prinsley about increasing the take-up of PIFU.
It is an element of the recently published Elective Reform Plan under which a patient can initiate an appointment when needed, based on their individual circumstances and symptoms.
Dalton said the plan includes a commitment that PIFU will be offered to patients with long term conditions as standard by March 2026, and is expected to account for at least 5% of outpatient appointments by March 2029.
Harnessing AI
“The Government will implement digital and technology solutions to support this expansion, including piloting digital options for signing-up patients for PIFU via the NHS App and enhancing how patients suitable for PIFU are identified using artificial intelligence and automation,” she said.
“In addition, remote monitoring of conditions at home or away from direct clinical settings can help support PIFU by helping inform patients and their healthcare teams about any changes in their condition, ensuring follow-up appointments only happen when clinically needed.
“We will expand remote monitoring by using patient engagement portals and the NHS App to host digital questionnaires, integrating remote monitoring tools with hospital administration systems, and producing technical guides for remote monitoring to support the sharing of best practice across providers.”
The plan adds to the expansion of features for the NHS App, such as enabling them to book appointments in more settings and receive test results, and to access a single patient record.
