Flock had the technology for cleaner NHS patient transport. We found out why it wasn't working on the ground.
Flock Mobility is a corporate mobility-as-a-service platform that turns a fleet of electric vehicles into shared transport, matching supply to demand across shuttle, drive and ride bookings. They work with healthcare, local authorities, resorts and universities.
efficiency gain
NHS Trusts Reached
CO₂ per trust per month
Flock had built an AI-scheduled electric vehicle platform for NHS non-emergency patient transport. The technology worked, but uptake was slower than expected. What nobody had done was watch what patients, drivers and clinic staff did with it.
Four months of research and prototyping later, the platform ran 33% more efficiently and Flock had a usable, scalable and trusted solution.
Every year millions of NHS patients rely on transport to reach appointments, often older adults, disabled people, people living rurally. Yet the system behind it is complex, expensive, and environmentally unsustainable.
The platform functioned technically but struggled in practice, missing key workflows for patients, drivers, and clinics.
Patients didn’t receive reliable updates about pick-ups or delays, leading to anxiety and missed appointments
Clinics were left guessing about patient arrivals, disrupting care schedules
Admin staff ran manual logs, shared tablets and double-entered bookings
The system lacked feedback mechanisms, so problems persisted without visibility
The platform ran 33% more efficiently, measured in reduced support contacts and driver admin.
Flock’s platform was redesigned to support real user behaviours and the result was more than just a redefined product but a strategic reset.
They came to us with a transport algorithm and left with a service platform, which is a different conversation with an NHS trust and a different proposition to an investor.
A new “Start Treatment” function allowed clinical teams to trigger scheduling changes in the moment, reducing wait times and missed pick-ups
Communication was redesigned across all user groups supporting real-time updates, fallback contacts, and clearer journey tracking
Clinics saw fewer workflow disruptions, improving consistency and patient flow
The platform moved from technically viable to meaningfully usable and ready to scale
01
Qualitative research with patients, drivers, NHS staff and administrators across four trusts.
02
Every friction point from booking to drop-off.
03
Workshops with NHS partners, so features actually worked in the real-world.
04
Paper and digital prototypes in front of real users, then a prioritised roadmap.
Thunk helped us adopt a people-centred design approach to better meet user needs. Their work shifted us from a purely technical product to a credible, human-centred service model that resonated with NHS staff and patients.
Terry Yoell, CEO, Flock Mobility
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