AI Advances Transform NHS Physiotherapy Services
Long waiting lists for physiotherapy have been a persistent issue across England, with patients suffering from back pain often experiencing delays of months to obtain their first appointment.
However, AI is being deployed to combat this issue.
The AI-powered physiotherapy clinic known as Flok Health is demonstrating impressive results, with waiting lists for back pain reduced by over 55% within a 12-week timeframe.
What is Flok?
Flok Health, developed by Cambridge-based physiotherapy and AI experts, stands as the UK's first fully digital musculoskeletal (MSK) service, gaining approval from the Care Quality Commission as well as medical device certification.
Departing from traditional services, Flok operates completely through a smartphone application, facilitating same-day consultations that mimic the experience of a real-time video call with a physiotherapist.
Upon its launch in February, CCS became the first NHS trust to implement Flok Health at scale across the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough regions.
The initiative, part of the NHS’ GIRFT Further Faster Programme, targeted the long-standing bottlenecks in MSK care access, characterised by extended waits and unmet patient requirements.
The impact of Flok has been significant.
Initially, patients faced waits of up to 18 weeks for an appointment. In just three months, digital interventions and community-based initiatives cut MSK wait times by 44% across the Trust.
Particularly for back pain, Flok Health’s AI clinic cleared its backlog by 55%, liberating 856 clinician hours monthly.
Its influence has been transformative, facilitating same-day care for thousands, reducing back pain wait lists by over half and allowing clinicians to address complex MSK conditions more effectively.
“What matters most to us is making sure patients get the right care quickly and safely and this pilot has shown that innovation like Flok can truly transform how we deliver services,” says Mike Passfield, Deputy Director from Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust.
“This pilot has demonstrated how innovation, when safely and thoughtfully integrated into NHS pathways, can dramatically improve access, outcomes and patient experience.”
AI: Delivering quick, personalised and scalable care
Leveraging AI’s advanced triage and treatment protocols, based on thousands of real physiotherapy sessions, over 2,500 local patients have virtually accessed customised back pain rehabilitation immediately.
The app provides both clinician- and self-referral pathways, negating any need for waits.
This enables patients to commence personalised exercises, stretches, and pain management routines the same day they register.
Clinical data revealed that a majority of users, over 98%, completed their treatment online, necessitating only a minimal number of onward referrals for face-to-face sessions.
This prioritisation freed physiotherapists to concentrate on more complex cases, extending the time spent with patients most in need.
This digital-first strategy not only alleviated patient discomfort swiftly but also allowed NHS staff to concentrate on higher-acuity care, optimising the reach and efficiency of limited physiotherapy resources.
Moreover, the AI-powered experience proved highly popular: 80% of patients rated Flok “equivalent or better” than traditional physiotherapy, with 78% describing their experience as “good” or “very good,” surpassing all expectations set by the Trust.
What can be learned from Flok
“Seeing the impact our service has had in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough – which is also where our team lives and works – has been incredibly meaningful,” says Finn Stevenson, Co-Founder and CEO of Flok Health.
“Our AI clinic enables patients to access world-class MSK care immediately, while freeing up traditional clinical capacity for patients who want or need to see a clinician in person.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with our innovative NHS partners to deliver gold-standard, scalable MSK care to patients in Cambridgeshire and across the UK.”
As digital health solutions continue to evolve, the success of Flok Health in Cambridgeshire establishes a strong precedent.
By integrating AI with clinical best practices, the NHS can provide faster, scalable, and more satisfying care, paving the way for a future where instant, personalised physical therapy becomes standard rather than exceptional.
Flok itself showcases how AI technology can alter healthcare delivery by offering immediate physiotherapy through a smartphone app. It frees up over 800 hours of clinician time each month, with Flok’s blend of AI, real-time monitoring and data-driven personalisation highlighting the potential for scalable, efficient healthcare services that sustain high patient satisfaction.
