Physiotherapy is a treatment service offered to patients suffering from mobility disorders. The service typically involves patients working with a physiotherapist to diagnose the mobility disorders affecting the patients and develop a personalised recovery plan. Whether a patient is ailing musculoskeletal dysfunction conditions, cardiopulmonary conditions (such as respiratory disorder, atelectasis, heart valve disease, cystic fibrosis or COPD) or neurological disorders (such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy or Parkinson’s disease), the physio is responsible for developing a bespoke plan that will aid patients to improve the mobility and strength.
The turn of this decade has seen a rise in physiotherapy services, spurred by post-pandemic recovery demand, an aging population, and an increasing rate of obesity. An increasing number of patients are seeking musculoskeletal treatments for ailments affecting the back, neck, knees, and other joints. However, the number of trained physiotherapist is not nearly enough to coup with the demand for services, leading to backlog in treatments, leaving thousands of patients living in pain without proper treatment.
Let’s delve into the demand for physiotherapy services in the UK and Ireland, the market size, and explore how the increased demand coupled with lack of trained physio is affecting patients, the general population, and the overall economies.
Physiotherapy Market Sizes in the UK
In 2022, the physiotherapy market in the UK was valued at GBP 1.05 billion. Additionally, the market was projected to grow by a compound annual rate of 3.85% from 2022 to 2030. From this projection, the physiotherapy market is expected to grow to about GBP 1.43 billion by 2030, indicating that the demand for physiotherapy treatment is expected to grow.
Among the main factors driving growth is an aging population. In 2022, it was estimated that the aging population in the UK would expand by over 4 million in the next decade. Consequently, there is an expected rise in demand for physiotherapy, with at least 30% of adults aged 65 and above experiencing at least one fall per year.
Another factor influencing this growth in demand for physiotherapy services is the increased wellness awareness and preventive treatment that integrate rehabilitation for patients who experience short and long-term disability resulting from injuries or illnesses.
For the most part, these projections have proved to be correct. The UK’s National Health Service reported that the waiting list of patients seeking physiotherapy treatment for musculoskeletal health issues was 27% higher in 2024 compared to the previous year according to homecaremedicalequipment.co.uk.
To understand the increased demand, consider this: in 2023, the number of patients waiting for musculoskeletal treatment from in January 2023 was 254,521. By March 2024, the NHS reported that the waiting list had ballooned to 323,965 patients. This represents an 11% year-over-year increase (or an increase of 33,257 patients).
Information gathered by The Charted Society of Physiotherapists (CSP) in North East and North Cumbria that about 52,431 people called emergency service for back pain issue. This increased over 73,000 during the Covid Pandemic in 2020. While emergency calls for back pain issues dropped in 2021, and 2022, the number rose sharply in 2023 to over 71,000 people.
The South East Coat ambulance service also experienced a surge in calls for back pain issues. In 2019, they had over 45,000 calls, which rose sharply to over 97,000 in 2021. They received over 70,000 callers with back pain issues in 2023.
This indicates that more people are living with pain. Moreover, it’s indicative of an ever-increasing need for physiotherapy services. The trend is likely to continue as an increasing proportion of our population ages and lifestyles disease creep into a higher proportion of the UK population.
Physiotherapy Market Sizes in the Ireland
In Ireland, the demand for physiotherapy treatment is equally high and growing. For instance, in 2022, Ireland had just under 60,000 patients waiting for physiotherapy treatment according to Physio Hub Dublin. By June 2023, the number of children waiting for physical assessment by physiotherapists had increased to 17,000, with the wait times reaching years rather than months.
Physiotherapist Shortage
The increase in demand for physio treatment is occurring against a background of a recruitment and retention crisis in the UK and Ireland. Health authorities are finding a hard time recruiting qualified physios to help meet the demand. As things stand, the exponential rise in demand for physiotherapy treatment might not be met.
The Charted Society of Physiotherapists (CSP) noted that UK needed to increase filling physiotherapy positions in the NHS by at least 7% every years to meet the rising demand. In the same light, the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP), which represent over 3,000 chartered physiotherapist in Ireland noted through its CEO, that numerous physiotherapy positions remain unfilled in both public and private hospitals.
Unfortunately, the lack of physiotherapists does have a knock-on effect on the overall health sector, straining already strained services. When musculoskeletal conditions are not treated early and well enough, experts warn that there is an increased likelihood of the development of complex conditions that need more aggressive treatment down the road. For instance, musculoskeletal conditions could necessitate invasive surgery, causing longer recovery times and longer periods off work.
Information gathered by the CSP indicates that untreated pains and aches could turn to conduction that requires surgery, which increases the wait time for hip and knee replacement.
There are calls by public health experts, especially in the UK, for physiotherapists to be added to the shortage occupation list to help shore up the number of experienced physiotherapist serving the public.
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