Laying the foundations for future tech in health and care

Health and care organisations often focus on the digital opportunities available today, but have limited capacity to consider the technologies that may transform health and care over the coming decades. That’s where Health Innovation North West Coast comes in. 

We have begun a growing programme of work to prepare the region for the next wave of innovation, including quantum computing and advanced robotics. 

Jenni West, Associate Director of Digital Transformation, said: "These are technologies that have the potential to fundamentally change how health and care services are delivered.  

“Our work ensures that the North West Coast has a voice in shaping how quantum technologies could be deployed in health and care, positioning the region to benefit from future breakthroughs rather than reacting to them once they reach maturity.  

“By engaging early, we are helping to create the knowledge, partnerships and evidence needed to support the responsible adoption of technologies that could ultimately transform diagnostics, drug discovery, personalised medicine and operational planning." 

One way we are laying the foundations for these technologies is by bringing our local health and care system together with thought leaders to explore what these developments could mean for the North West Coast. 

Preparing for the quantum future 

Over the past year, Health Innovation North West Coast has made significant strides in exploring the future applications of quantum computing in health and social care. 

We co-hosted the Quantum Healthcare Summit in Liverpool in March with Prof Richard Harding from STFC Hartree Centre, bringing together senior leaders from NHS organisations, integrated care boards, universities, local government, research institutions and industry across Cheshire and Merseyside and Lancashire and South Cumbria to explore the opportunities and challenges presented by quantum technologies. 

The summit featured contributions from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, NHS England, Innovate UK and quantum technology companies including IBM, D-Wave, Quantinuum and PsiQuantum. Sessions explored the future role of quantum computing, quantum sensing technologies, potential use cases, routes to adoption in health and care, and the impact a future quantum centre of excellence could have on the sector. 

These discussions built on work undertaken in late 2025, when we completed a feasibility study centred on establishing a Health and Care Quantum Innovation Centre, where health and care use cases would be prioritised. Read more here. 

Health Innovation North West Coast and partners, including Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, have also been accepted onto the national Quantum Technology Access Programme (QTAP), helping further prepare the North West Coast for the next generation of healthcare technologies. The programme provides access to national expertise, specialist support and the wider quantum innovation ecosystem, helping organisations move from theoretical discussions to real-world applications. 

As one of only a small number of organisations selected nationally, and the only use case from north west England, Health Innovation North West Coast is using the programme to explore practical healthcare use cases, understand the infrastructure and skills needed for future adoption, and build stronger links with the National Quantum Computing Centre and other organisations at the forefront of quantum development. 

Robotics and autonomous systems 

Alongside quantum computing, Health Innovation North West Coast is helping the region prepare for advances in robotics and autonomous systems. This includes working with partners to understand how healthcare pathways may need to evolve to accommodate new technologies and learning from organisations already deploying robotics at scale. 

In summer 2025, we visited the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo) in Whitehaven, Cumbria. RAICo is a partnership between the UK Atomic Energy Authority, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Sellafield Ltd, the University of Manchester and AWE Nuclear Security Technologies. The visit demonstrated the value of looking beyond the NHS to understand how complex technologies can be introduced safely, effectively and at scale. Read more.  

This work complements our wider engagement with national robotics networks, policy discussions and conferences, helping ensure the North West Coast remains connected to emerging developments and contributes to shaping future thinking around robotics in healthcare. 

What's next? 

These activities form part of a broader strategy to ensure the North West Coast is future-ready. By convening partners, identifying opportunities, exploring use cases and connecting the region to national innovation programmes, Health Innovation North West Coast is laying the groundwork to ensure patients, services and communities across the North West Coast are well placed to benefit from the next generation of health innovation. 

Richard Harding, Business Development Manager at the Hartree Centre, said: "Health Innovation North West Coast has been instrumental in bringing together healthcare leaders, researchers and industry partners to begin exploring the practical applications of quantum technologies within health and care that can scale. 

“By creating the space for these conversations now, they are helping the region to understand both the opportunities and challenges ahead, while building the partnerships needed to turn future potential into real-world impact. This is to support Quantum Mission 1 and help with ecosystem development."