AI physiotherapy clinic halves waiting time for back pain treatment

UK – A 12-week NHS pilot of Flok Health’s AI-powered physiotherapy clinic has cut waiting lists for back pain by 55% and overall musculoskeletal waits by 44% in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

The app-based service, built on video of a human physiotherapist, offers same-day automated consultations, freeing 856 clinician hours each month. Patient feedback highlights flexibility and intuitive use, with some rating it equal to or better than private treatment.

The results position AI-run clinics as a scalable model for alleviating healthcare bottlenecks. Yet the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy warns that reliance on app-based care could exclude those without digital access and that addressing recruitment freezes remains key to sustainable improvement.

With a national roll-out planned, the trial offers a live test case for how AI can augment the human workforce while accelerating access to essential care.

These findings echo insights from our Viva Technology 2025: Decoding a Decisive Moment for Tech report, which highlights AI’s growing role in bridging healthcare gaps and serving underserved populations through scalable, tech-enabled care models.