AI physiotherapy app halves NHS back pain waits in pilot scheme

An AI-powered physiotherapy clinic providing same-day appointments via a smartphone app has reduced NHS back pain waiting lists by more than half in a large-scale deployment in England.

The digital clinic, Flok Health, was implemented across Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust (CCS) in a 12-week pilot programme. The service, created by a Cambridge-based team of physiotherapy and AI experts, is the first digital musculoskeletal (MSK) service approved by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and certified as a medical device under MHRA regulations.

Deployment details

The technology was introduced across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, with both self-referred and clinician-referred patients offered access to the AI-powered back pain clinic. Flok was deployed as part of a pilot commissioned by CCS in partnership with the GIRFT Further Faster Programme, an NHS initiative aimed at improving patient access and reducing waiting times.

Prior to the deployment, average waiting times for elective community MSK services in the region stood at 18 weeks. Over the 12-week period, a combination of interventions, including the Flok AI clinic, MSK "superclinics", and community assessment days, resulted in a 44% decrease in waiting times for MSK conditions overall across CCS, reducing the average wait to less than 10 weeks.

Specifically targeting back pain, Flok's AI clinic reduced waiting lists by 55%, saving approximately 856 hours of clinician time per month within the Trust. Patients accessing the digital clinic experienced no waiting period and could begin treatment immediately.

Patient outcomes and satisfaction

Of the more than 2,500 patients who accessed Flok's clinic during the pilot, fewer than 2% required a referral to traditional face-to-face services. According to data, over 98% of patients were managed entirely through the digital platform, which helped alleviate pressure on existing NHS pathways and allowed clinicians to dedicate more time to patients with complex needs.

Results from patient feedback indicated that 80% felt their experience with Flok was "equivalent or better" than traditional physiotherapy. Additionally, 78% rated their overall experience as "good" or "very good," surpassing the patient satisfaction targets set at the start of the project.

Comments from NHS leadership

Mike Passfield, Deputy Director at Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, said:

"We're proud to have been the first NHS organisation in England to deploy Flok Health's AI powered physiotherapy clinic at scale. The impact has been extraordinary, delivering same-day access to care for thousands of patients, reducing back pain waiting lists by over 50%, and freeing up clinicians to focus on other patients with complex MSK conditions."

"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."

"This pilot has demonstrated how innovation, when safely and thoughtfully integrated into NHS pathways, can dramatically improve access, outcomes and patient experience. We look forward to working with Flok to explore how this service can be scaled across our region to benefit even more people."

Flok Health founder perspective

Finn Stevenson, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Flok Health, said:

"Seeing the impact our service has had in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough - which is also where our team lives and works - has been incredibly meaningful."

"Our AI clinic enables patients to access world-class MSK care immediately, whilst 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."

Patient experiences

Sharon McMahon, a primary school teacher from Hardwick, described her experience: "My back pain became unbearable after a long drive. The pain was so severe that I couldn't move the next day, and it left me unable to work for a fortnight. An NHS physio suggested I try Flok. I was initially disappointed not to be receiving face-to-face care. I'm not disappointed now. The AI clinic has delivered exactly the same results as I'd expect from a traditional physio - and much more quickly."

"I started my treatment the same day, and was able to get appointments and complete exercises whenever I liked. My back was back to normal after a couple of weeks, but I'm still using the app twice a week to manage pain when I get flare ups or spasms. If it wasn't for Flok, I might still be waiting for an in-person appointment, or be paying to see someone privately. I'd recommend the app to anyone. My husband has been overhearing my sessions and wants to try it out for himself!"

Anna-Marie Cooper, a runner from Cambridgeshire, commented: "I've struggled with intermittent bouts of back pain for years, but my most recent flare up came in October last year, while I was training to beat my 10K running PB. When I found out I'd been referred to the AI physio, I was a bit sceptical, but from the very beginning I was surprised by just how smooth and easy to use the app was."

"Flok's service was so intuitive, and having the flexibility to schedule and rearrange appointments whenever I wanted really suited me. I'm an early riser, so I decided to use the app at 6 o'clock every morning, to start my day. Even when I went away on holiday, I was able to continue my treatment as normal - something which obviously wouldn't have been possible with an in-person service."

"I have used private physiotherapy services in the past, but I found my experience with the AI physio as good as, if not better than any care I've received before. If it wasn't for Flok, I might've been forced to pay for treatment again," said Cooper.

Long-term prospects

Data from an earlier trial at Cambridge University Hospitals in 2023 suggested that when the AI clinic was not in use, waiting lists for in-person appointments increased by more than 50%. Earlier this year, NHS Lothian in Scotland deployed the service to more than one million NHS patients in its first large-scale UK roll-out.

Following the success of the Cambridgeshire pilot, Flok is in discussions with CCS regarding broader and potentially permanent adoption of the service for patients in the region.

Musculoskeletal conditions like back pain account for up to 30% of GP appointments in the UK, and result in over 30 million working days lost each year, according to NHS data.