Saving over 85,000 outpatient appointments at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
The Challenge
Waiting lists continue to grow in outpatients; patients are waiting longer than ever, not just for surgery, but for outpatient or follow-up appointments. Trusts are not able to move beyond their current statuses, and there is no funding for more digital solutions.
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH) had a requirement to reduce unnecessary appointments and free up clinical time for those patients needing care the most.
The Solution
NHSE funded the first wave of solutions for outpatients, and HSJ recognised the work at NNUH as the most ambitious of those projects. The project continues to deliver over and above any other outpatient digital Patient Initiated Follow Up (PIFU) solution implemented nationally due to its unique structure, specifically digitising patients with long-term conditions.
PIFU has been rolled out to patients with long-term medical conditions across 47 specialities, giving patients flexibility over their follow-up appointments. Instead of routine follow-up appointments being automatically booked, patients decide if they would like an appointment and request it themselves at a convenient date and time.
The Outcomes
85,000+ unnecessary appointments avoided, releasing clinical time for elective recovery
Over 110,000 patients put onto a PIFU pathway since go-live (May 2022)
5%+ PIFU rate maintained and working towards 8%
Only 8-12% of those on a PIFU pathway have requested a follow-up appointment
69 specialties and 296 active pathways with more being added every day
Average patient satisfaction score of 4.2 out of 5
Increased volume of patients onto PIFU pathways whilst not risking them being ‘lost to follow-up’
“Our Digital Health team have successfully integrated new digital platforms so that specialities can now send online assessment forms to patients to help monitor outpatients with longer-term follow up needs. This helps to free up clinician time for new appointments, procedures and for outpatients who need us the most.”