Flok Health has rolled out digital physio across 11 NHS areas in England, extending its app-based service to more than 2.4 million patients.
The expansion follows pilot programmes in 2025, as the NHS looks to digital provision for musculoskeletal (MSK) care, which covers conditions affecting muscles, bones and joints, including back pain.
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.
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.”
In its first large-scale pilot in England last year, Flok Health said the service more than halved back-pain waiting lists in under 10 weeks, with a 44 per cent 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, with NHS organisations facing 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 and sets expectations around regulatory approval for products and services used in patient pathways.
Flok Health said it has Class IIa medical device clearance under EU Medical Device Regulations and that 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.
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.
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.”
