Patients in NHS Lothian area among the first in UK to benefit from new AI physio

Peace Emezue has been experiencing back pain for a number of years, but it began to ramp up towards the end of last year.

After going to her GP she was told she’d be referred to a physio, but was warned the waiting list is long and it could take up to two years before she sees anyone.

“I self-referred like three times, nothing back, just getting letters saying you’re on the list and we have so much people on the list and because of that you have to be patient.” She told STV News.

But then her GP gave Peace a link to the Flok health app, a digital physio.

A trial for the technology which is powered by artificial intelligence was undertaken amongst NHS Lothian staff earlier in 2024.

The app uses videos of a real physiotherapist who teaches the user different stretches and exercises. Through asking questions the app can then tailor its advice for the patient.

After finding success with staff the tech was launched across the NHS Lothian health board, with Peace becoming one of the first to use it, and she’s become a big fan of her virtual physio ‘Amy’.

“She tried to tell me what is wrong with me, something about a nerve, from my stretches.

“She asks me questions like ‘how do you feel about this?’.

“You have to really be honest, and from my symptoms she’s able to tell me what stretches to do.”

The app designers hope it will not only make physiotherapy more accessible for patients, but also that it will take pressure off in-person services.

Patients will still be to able to decide to wait for more traditional care, and in some more complex cases they’ll have to, but the idea is to give people more options.

For now Flok Health focuses specifically on back pain, but the company hopes in the future the tech can be used for other conditions.

Co-Founder Finn Stevenson told us: “NHS organisations across the country are just finding it increasingly hard to deliver this sort of care.

“Demand is increasing all the time.

“And we know that if you can give people early frequent access to a multidisciplinary care pathway for these conditions they’ll do well.”

While the idea of A.I replacing the jobs of humans might be a scary prospect for some industries, for some staff it’s a welcome helping hand.

Phil Ackerman, consultant MSK physiotherapist at NHS Lothian, said: “It’s an exciting opportunity to really understand and explore and look at this technology and where it could compliment and support our existing services.

“What we’ve got here is a range of options that people can chose from.

“Some who will very much like this enhanced sophisticated digital option, some who will chose the more traditional in-person option.”

Flok Health say they are already in contact with health boards across Scotland and England about the prospect of extending the availability of the app.