Personally, i think its an unfair way of picking applicants, because the admissions staff only have the UCAS personal statement and mainly an academic profile to go on. Then to go and pick them at random, without interview is even worse.
An applicant should be picked on both academic and personal qualities(which would come out in the interview really). Because by picking random applicants from a system means that you could get a really academic person, but lacks the qualities and then an applicant who has the qualities but lacks the academic side.
I know that it costs alot of money for the uni's to interview applicants etc.
However, i think interviewing is the best way to get an overall 'analysis' of an applicant. Looking at it in one way, it kind of shows that those uni's arent really bothered about who does physio at their uni, but rather, aslong as they have 50 random applicants their happy.
If the uni's interview all the applicants, then pick them at random ...doesnt that just defy the whole point of investing all that time and money into choosing the right applicants.