This section contains key management information related to the recovery and transformation of outpatient services, specifically Specialist Advice and patient initiated follow up activity.

The NHS Long Term Plan, and latest Operational Planning Guidance, outline a range of interventions and transformation requirements including around Patient Initiated Follow up (PIFU) and Referral Optimisation (through specialist advice).

Specialist advice activity

Monthly specialist advice activity returns are collected from Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) as part of the System Elective Recovery Outpatient Collection (System EROC).

The data are available by ‘type of specialist advice’. For the purposes of this data collection, the different types are categorised as:

• Pre-referral Advice & Guidance (A&G)
• Post-referral triage services that offer specialist advice
• Other equivalent models.

Specialist Advice facilitates expert clinical input in to patient care prior to or instead of referral, enabling patient care to be managed in the most appropriate setting, avoiding unnecessary outpatient referrals, or where a referral is needed, enable relevant investigations to be undertaken earlier and ensure that patients are seen by the right person, in the right place, at the right time.

Patient initiated follow-up (PIFU)

PIFU is when a patient initiates an appointment when they need one, based on their symptoms and individual circumstances.  Monthly PIFU activity returns are collected from NHS providers as part of the provider elective recovery outpatient collection (Provider EROC).

Latest data

• Specialist advice activity data
• PIFU activity data

Contact Details

For further information about the published management information relating to outpatient recovery and transformation, please contact us at england.outpatient-transformation@nhs.net.

For media enquires or freedom of information request please refer to the statistics contact us.