Palantir out of the NHS

Photo: Talia Woodin / MedAct

Palantir out of the NHS

Palantir is a US tech company that works with the IDF, British and American militaries, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) and, since 2020, the NHS.

The company first partnered with the Government and NHS England during the Covid-19 pandemic, under the emergency coronavirus legislation providing software to help manage resources like ICU beds and PPE. This temporary “Covid-19 Data Store” raised early concerns about patient privacy and data handling. The initial contract was for £1, a great investment for Palantir to get its foot in the door of the NHS and this was extended at a cost of £23 million.

In November 2023, Palantir was awarded a £330 million contract to run the NHS’s new Federated Data Platform (FDP), aimed at linking data across hospitals and care systems in England to improve planning and reduce waiting times. The platform is being rolled out nationally, meaning Palantir has access to patient data all over the country.

The NHS Palantir contract is incredibly worrying, and raises concerns about threats to data safety. It is also concerning that such an unsavoury company as Palantir has access to patient data.

Information sources on Palantir in the NHS