Summary report - Establishing a Health and Care Quantum Innovation Centre

SUMMARY REPORT: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Full report is available here.

This feasibility study, commissioned by UK Science and Technology Network and
National Health Service England (NHSE) and conducted by Health Innovation North
West Coast (HINWC), explores the potential use cases and understanding of quantum
computing within the UK’s health and social care system. The study, employing
interviews, workshops, site visits and desktop research, aimed to identify the system’s
needs, establish relevant use cases, and pinpoint areas that could benefit from this
emerging technology.

The overwhelming majority of interviewees expressed strong support for developing advanced
computing capabilities, including quantum computing, citing its unique advantages in addressing
complex health and social care problems that may have only small datasets, such as pharmaceutical
development, clinical trial optimisation, personalised medicine, system optimisation and rare disease
management. However, a significant challenge is a limited understanding of quantum computing and the
need for clearly defined use cases.

The study highlights that quantum computing is still in its early stages, facing challenges in costs,
regulations, operations, data management and workforce. However, despite these hurdles, the risks
of not developing quantum computing capabilities are significant, potentially leaving the UK behind in
this field. The UK government is backing quantum computing with a £2 billion investment in the 2025
compute roadmap identifying quantum as a strategic long-term investment.

The most significant recommendation in this study is the creation of a Health and Care Quantum
Innovation Centre (HCQIC). This centre would be a single access point for advanced computing,
integrating quantum computing with high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence
(AI). This would allow health and social care to explore where HPC is accelerated by AI, then where AI
can no longer support, and then where quantum is needed. It would offer open access to resources,
foster collaboration, support funding applications, and be built on a foundation of governance, ethics,
education and public engagement.

There was a preference for developing the centre in the North West of UK for several reasons: the
inequity of resources for HPC, AI and quantum, which currently seems focused towards the North
East of UK; the significant impact of talent migration away from the NW due to a lack of opportunity
in the development of cutting-edge technologies; the opportunity to use and expand the resources
currently available at the Hartree Centre, and pilot sites for the Federated Data Platform in Cheshire and
Merseyside; and the close working relationship of Secure Data Environments across the north.

This report suggests different operating and funding models for a HCQIC and identifies potential KPIs for
the centre, focusing on health outcomes, research outputs, operational metrics, economic effects and
engagement.

Several operating and funding models are suggested, including a central hub, hybrid and NHS-centric
approaches.

While quantum computing alone is not a silver bullet, it is a critical component of the advanced
computing ecosystem needed to solve pressing health and social care challenges. Investment will be
needed for the UK to develop domestic quantum computing to realise the benefits for the NHS, wider
health and care, and the UK’s reputation on the global stage in advanced computing. It is hoped that
findings from this report will be a valuable asset in this journey.