As NHS leaders focus on transformation priorities - shifting care from hospital to community, treatment to prevention, and analogue to digital - a silent threat looms. Quantum computing, while promising revolutionary advances in healthcare, also poses serious risks to the security of sensitive patient data. And that’s regardless of whether an organisation uses quantum or not. NHS leaders must understand the threats to protect patient safety. Quantum isn't tomorrow's problem - it's today's imperative. Bad actors are harvesting data now ready for the arrival of a quantum breakthrough. Leaders must act now before it’s too late. Read the full whitepaper here

Understanding the Quantum Threat

Quantum computing fundamentally differs from classical computing by using qubits that can occupy multiple positions simultaneously, exponentially multiplying processing power. So what makes this concerning for the NHS?

The 'Harvest Now, Decrypt Later’ Threat: Bad actors are already collecting encrypted NHS data with the intention of decrypting it once quantum computing capabilities advance. The National Cyber Security Centre has flagged this as a significant risk for organisations holding high-value information - the NHS being a prime target.

Q-Day Is Coming: Security experts warn of ‘Q-Day' - the point when quantum computers will break current encryption methods. Unlike the Y2K bug, which had a fixed date, Q-Day could happen at any time. Once it arrives, it will be too late to protect data that's already been harvested.

Traditional Data Security Is Not Enough: Conventional encryption methods will become obsolete virtually overnight. Safeguards that would take classical computers millions of years to crack will be decrypted in minutes by quantum systems.

The NHS Context: Why This Matters Now



Becoming Quantum-Ready: The Path Forward



The Opportunities of Quantum for Healthcare

Conclusion: Act Now or Pay Later