Abstract
Patient Initiated Follow-Up (PIFU) may be effective at increasing healthcare capacity and aligning with patient need, but there is a paucity of evidence within secondary care mental health settings. This service evaluation explores the experiences and outcomes of an initial six-month pilot of PIFU within a specific community mental health team of a local NHS mental health trust. A quantitative review of the patient electronic records was combined with a patient experience questionnaire and staff questionnaire. Eight patients participated in the PIFU pilot. After six months on PIFU, four patients were discharged and four returned to standard follow-up. The patient-rated outcome and experience measures of participants remained stable across the pilot. Most patients were pleased to be offered PIFU and felt safe and supported during the pilot. Staff agreed that PIFU could be beneficial for patient experience, clinical capacity and wider healthcare systems. This evaluation demonstrates the feasibility and potential advantages of PIFU for community mental health care. Future pilots of PIFU across different outpatient mental health services are required to better investigate the utility of PIFU for mental health conditions.