Introduction

In the UK, one in three primary-care appointments relates to musculoskeletal (MSK) pain. Despite strong evidence that early physiotherapy intervention can reduce long-term disability by up to 30 % (BMJ, 2022), access remains a challenge — and waiting times can stretch for weeks.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is beginning to change that picture.  By using structured data and intelligent algorithms to support triage, physiotherapy services are improving access, streamlining workloads and ensuring patients are directed to the right level of care from the very start.

At Rehbox, we see AI not as a replacement for clinical reasoning, but as a tool to enhance it — empowering physiotherapists to make faster, fairer, evidence-informed decisions.

What Is AI-Enabled Triage?

In physiotherapy, triage is the process of determining which patients need urgent assessment, which can self-manage, and which require onward referral. Traditionally this has been manual, subjective and time-consuming.

AI changes that.  By analysing self-reported symptoms, clinical data and risk factors, AI tools can automate the initial triage process — producing consistent, evidence-based recommendations and freeing clinicians to focus on complex care.  The result is a more efficient, patient-centred entry point to rehabilitation.

Why It Matters

With MSK disorders accounting for nearly 20 % of the UK’s healthcare burden and over 30 million working days lost annually (NHS England, 2023), the scale of demand for physiotherapy far outstrips workforce capacity.

Digital triage helps balance supply and demand. It ensures patients begin their journey with appropriate advice or intervention immediately — while clinicians dedicate their expertise where it has the most impact.

What the Evidence Tells Us

AI triage in physiotherapy is still an evolving field — but a growing body of research, NHS pilots and global evaluations is helping to shape a clearer evidence base.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of AI-assisted physiotherapy for non-specific low back pain found no statistically significant difference in pain or function outcomes compared to standard physiotherapy (SMD = −0.27 for pain; −0.25 for function; MDPI, 2024). This highlights that while AI can match clinician-led care, its superiority is not yet proven.

A UK NHS pilot of an AI-driven assessment and routing system for MSK patients reported 96 % agreement with physiotherapist triage decisions, confirming feasibility and safety in real-world use (PMC, 2025).

A digital physiotherapy programme in one NHS region cut waiting lists for back pain by more than 50 % over 12 weeks (Digital Health News, 2025).

Broader healthcare evidence shows that AI-driven triage systems can reduce clinician time and redirect demand: analyses of NHS navigation pilots report 25–50 % fewer high-acuity bookings when digital triage is used first (Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, 2023).

What We Can Conclude

• Operational gains are clear: faster access, shorter waits and better workload management.
• Clinical outcomes are promising but still maturing.
• Integration is key: evidence supports embedding AI triage safely within physiotherapy workflows rather than replacing them.

For Rehbox, this means building AI that enhances clinical practice, not automates it — supporting consistency, efficiency and fairness across rehabilitation services.

AI in Action: Transforming Physiotherapy Access

UK pilot data highlight how digital triage is already reshaping patient journeys:

• systems combining automated assessment, data-driven routing and clinician validation have achieved up to 40 % shorter waiting times and improved patient satisfaction.
• Early trials show that embedding digital triage into referral pathways also improves caseload balance and reduces administrative burden for physiotherapists.

At Rehbox, Rehbox Connect builds on these learnings — offering clinicians a unified dashboard for intelligent triage, patient list management and evidence-based decision support.  Our platform keeps physiotherapists firmly in control, using AI to support safer, more effective prioritisation.

Beyond MSK Physiotherapy

While most AI triage research focuses on MSK care, several NHS programmes are now demonstrating success across neurological, pulmonary, pelvic-health and community rehabilitation pathways.

• Neurological Rehabilitation: The NeuroVirt / CURE-Rehab initiative (UCLH & NHS London, 2024–25) uses natural-language processing and wearable sensors to triage stroke and brain-injury patients across physiotherapy, occupational therapy and neuropsychology.  Early data show 92 % concordance with MDT triage and triage times reduced from five days to < 24 hours.
• Pulmonary & Cardiorespiratory Rehabilitation: At Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust , an AI module integrated into myCOPD  stratifies COPD and post-COVID patients for community or centre-based rehab. Results: 40 % reduction in screening time, improved enrolment from 62 % → 83 %, and seven-day faster starts.
• Pelvic Health & Women’s Health: The Pelvic Health Digital Front Door pilot (NHS Greater Manchester, 2024) screens post-partum women for incontinence and prolapse, routing them to physiotherapy or continence services per NICE NG123.  Outcomes: 68 % triaged directly to physiotherapy, with waits cut from six weeks to under two.
• Falls & Frailty Rehabilitation: At Kent Community Health NHS FT (2023–24), AI-based risk stratification reduced low-risk referrals by 25 % and improved high-risk response times by 32 %. 
• Community Rehabilitation Hubs: NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s Digital Referral Hub (2024) integrates AI triage across physio, OT and speech therapy, processing over 5,000 referrals and cutting manual triage time by 60 %.  This aligns with Scotland’s Digital Health and Care Strategy.

These projects show that AI triage is no longer MSK-specific — it’s becoming foundational to multidisciplinary rehabilitation across the UK.

Clinical Safety & Governance

All digital triage tools in healthcare must comply with DCB 0129/0160  safety standards and register with the MHRA  as medical devices. The NICE AI and Digital  regulations Service  supports compliance, while the NHS AI Lab  ensures ethical, evidence-led deployment. 

AI should always accelerate access without compromising safety — transparency, fairness and clinician oversight remain essential.

Challenges and Opportunities

Integration with electronic health records, interoperability and consistent digital maturity remain challenges across services.  Yet, every automated triage represents time saved and faster care delivered.  AI triage doesn’t replace physiotherapists — it amplifies their expertise, allowing them to focus on complex reasoning, education and hands-on intervention.

Policy Alignment

AI-enabled triage aligns with the NHS England AI and Machine Learning framework (2022)   and the NHS Long Term Plan (2019)   focus on digital “front-door” access.  It also supports the NHS AI Lab’s mission to deploy safe, equitable AI across rehabilitation.

Looking Ahead: The Future of AI Triage in Physiotherapy

AI-driven triage is set to become a standard component of physiotherapy and rehabilitation.  Over the next few years, intelligent assessment systems are expected to integrate directly with the NHS App  — becoming the digital front door for physiotherapy care.  Patients will complete smart self-assessments; clinicians will receive structured insights instantly; and referrals will be prioritised equitably.

• In private practice, AI triage will redefine client onboarding — offering personalised digital assessments and care plans before the first appointment.
• As adoption grows, the line between digital and clinical triage will blur.
• AI will handle initial screening and routine decision support.
• Physiotherapists will focus on complex, human-centred care.
• Aggregated triage data will help plan capacity and improve outcomes system-wide.

Data will no longer just record care — it will elevate it.

AI will augment the quality of physiotherapy from the very start, ensuring that every patient receives high-quality, personalised rehabilitation faster than ever before.

The physiotherapist of the future will remain hands-on, but empowered by intelligent systems that make care smarter, fairer and more efficient.