Flok Health expands digital physio to 11 NHS areas

Flok Health has rolled out its digital physiotherapy clinic across 11 NHS areas in England, extending access to its app-based service to more than 2.4 million patients.

The expansion follows pilot programmes in 2025 and comes amid a wider NHS push towards digital provision for musculoskeletal (MSK) treatment. The service offers same-day appointments for back pain via a smartphone app, alongside ongoing digital physiotherapy support.

Areas covered include Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Airedale, South Yorkshire, Northamptonshire and three London boroughs. In South Yorkshire, coverage includes Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham and Sheffield.

Waiting list impact

In its first large-scale pilot in England last year, the service more than halved back-pain waiting lists in under 10 weeks. Flok Health also reported a 44% reduction in waiting times across all MSK conditions over the same period.

Back pain and other MSK problems remain a major driver of demand for community and outpatient services. NHS organisations have faced sustained pressure on waiting lists, workforce capacity and appointment availability. Digital pathways are attracting growing interest as a way to broaden access and manage demand.

Flok Health linked the expansion to NHS England's Medium Term Planning Framework, which it said advises trusts to consider scaling digital solutions for MSK care. The framework also sets expectations around regulatory approval for products and services used in patient pathways.

Regulatory position

Flok Health said it has Class IIa medical device clearance under EU Medical Device Regulations. It also said its system has been approved to deliver diagnostic triage and treatment pathways autonomously, without human intervention.

The service begins with a video assessment on a mobile phone. The system evaluates symptoms and decides whether the patient can be managed through the digital pathway. Some patients have a further telehealth assessment with a clinician before treatment begins, or before referral to another NHS service.

Patients who proceed receive weekly video appointments via the app, which Flok Health said are available at any time. Patients can also send voice messages to the clinical team and receive responses during working hours.

Outcomes and access

New company data showed patients recorded an average improvement of 6.16 points on the MSK-HQ measure, used in MSK pathways. Flok Health said an improvement above five is considered statistically and clinically significant.

Early analysis also suggests the service is reaching more deprived patients, on average, than equivalent face-to-face NHS physiotherapy services in the same regions. Flok Health attributed this to barriers to in-person care, including travel, time away from work, caring commitments and limited appointment times.

Finn Stevenson, chief executive officer and co-founder of Flok Health, said: "It's been incredibly exciting to see such a positive response to our technology from NHS Trusts and commissioners across the UK. We've long believed that the right technology could completely transform how musculoskeletal care is delivered in the UK, transforming the lives of millions of patients, and delivering significant cost savings for the NHS.

"We are currently the only digital physiotherapy provider in the UK with the necessary regulatory approvals to immediately deliver on NHS England's goal of deploying digital solutions at pace to meet demand for MSK services.

"Our goal is to continue to deliver gold-standard MSK care at population scale, enabling patients to access care immediately, whilst freeing up clinical capacity for patients who want or need to see a clinician face-to-face."

Matthew Winn, chief executive officer of Cambridge Community Services NHS Trust and Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust, said: "It's been fantastic to see the impact the Flok Health pilot has had for our patients and staff. Thousands more people are getting faster access to expert physiotherapy support, waiting lists have been cut by more than half and our clinical teams have more time to focus on those with complex needs.

"It's exciting to see how innovation like this, introduced safely and thoughtfully, can truly transform the way we deliver care. We're now looking forward to rolling Flok out more widely across the Trust so even more people can benefit from quicker, high-quality MSK support closer to home."

Awards shortlist

Flok Health said it has been jointly shortlisted in three HSJ Awards categories: Primary and Community Care Project of the Year and Best Contribution to Improving the Efficiency of NHS Services at the HSJ Partnership Awards, and Driving Change through AI and Automation at the HSJ Digital Awards. Winners are due to be announced later this year.

The next stage of the roll-out includes wider deployment across participating trusts and commissioners in the 11 areas, with Flok Health positioning the service as a front-door option for patients seeking support for back pain and other MSK conditions.