Quantum Technologies Strategic Imperatives for Health and Healthcare Leaders 2025

Regulatory uncertainty is a barrier that delays the availability of frontier technologies to support better health systems. A robust and ethical framework is essential to maintain momentum and build trust, balancing innovation with patient safety. For quantum devices, the pathway to adoption will hinge on rigorous standards of safety, ethics and clear evidence from clinical trials. Regulatory bodies such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA) and others will require proof that these innovations deliver clear benefits without introducing new risks (e.g. cryogenic or magnetic field exposure). Moreover, quantum-enhanced AI models could introduce algorithmic bias and a lack of explainability, raising ethical concerns in medical treatment decisions. Regulatory frameworks are therefore critical for providing the credibility and trust needed to move quantum technology from experimental promise to clinical reality. Building a robust and safe health infrastructure is equally complex. Healthcare organizations deliver critical services where any breach can compromise patient safety and the confidentiality of medical records. In the last few years, cyberattacks have grown exponentially. For instance, a recent ransomware attack against UK-based pathology provider Synnovis, a partnership between two London-based hospital trusts and SYNLAB, caused severe shortages of O-type blood because the ransomware disrupted the ability to process and transfuse blood efficiently.8 Quantum communication will not only safeguard data now and for the future, but will also enable healthcare providers to focus on their core businesses. Post-quantum standards are already being embedded into health IT foundations, while interoperability frameworks need to evolve to enable secure data exchange across systems. Joint provider-industry testbeds are validating new models of protection, ensuring resilience against future threats. At the same time, access to infrastructure is broadening – through cloud platforms, on-premises systems, and integrated HPC-quantum resources – requiring secure interconnected systems. The gap of professionals with expertise in quantum within the healthcare sector is huge. More academic and training programmes are critical for building the necessary talent, from cardiologists trained in quantum innovations to quantum experts that combine biology, statistics and computer science skills to develop algorithms. Finally, public and private incentives will be pivotal to advancing health-focused quantum pilots. Organizations such as Wellcome Leap are already backing the Q4Bio challenge to accelerate breakthrough solutions, while government bodies like the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) are establishing dedicated programmes and grants for quantum biomedical research. Over the longer term, sustained investment and innovative funding mechanisms will be essential, not only to scale promising pilots but also to embed quantum as a durable and trusted pillar of the healthcare ecosystem. Post-quantum standards are already being embedded into health IT foundations, while interoperability frameworks need to evolve to enable secure data exchange across systems. Stage 1: Establish the foundations (0–2 years) The immediate focus is to build the technical and institutional foundations that allow quantum technologies to enter the healthcare ecosystem safely. This involves embedding cryptographic standards, creating first secure links between hospitals, provisioning access to quantum infrastructure, and launching funding programmes that de-risk investments while encouraging start- up participation. Key enablers –Adoption of NIST post-quantum cryptographic protocols across health IT baselines and procurement frameworks –Launch of hospital-to-hospital QKD pilots to validate secure quantum communication in clinical contexts –Targeted funding programmes that lower the investment barrier for start-ups and research groups –Foundational governance and compliance runbooks to standardize early adoption How to act now –Run mission-driven quantum for health challenges to unite start-ups, clinicians, academic and industry partners. –Update IT and cybersecurity baselines to incorporate post-quantum cryptography. –Deploy the first QKD-enabled hospital pilots with standardized operational procedures. –Offer compliant HPC/quantum access services for health-sector experimentation. –Embed quantum-readiness criteria in early- stage health technology grants.4.1 Building the pillars of healthcare enablement Quantum Technologies: Strategic Imperatives for Health and Healthcare Leaders 22