Multiple NHS organisations across England have declined to adopt or have abandoned Palantir’s federated data platform, according to freedom of information requests reviewed by the Guardian. The responses reveal that at least 16 trusts and health boards are not using the system, which was introduced in March 2024 as part of a seven-year deal intended to improve data integration across the health service. Among those rejecting the platform are the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS trust, which determined it offered no additional functionality beyond existing systems, and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, which serves over 2 million people and cited limited expected benefit. Other organisations, including Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, reported the system had not delivered significant improvements compared to their current solutions.
The rejections come as the government faces a decision on whether to invoke a break clause in the Palantir contract. Opposition to the arrangement has centred on multiple concerns: the effectiveness of the system, Palantir’s contracts with Israeli military and US homeland security forces, and the involvement of cofounded Peter Thiel, who made controversial statements about the NHS. Two parliamentary select committees have called for the contract to end. More than 44,000 individuals have filed legal objections to their health data being shared with or used by the platform. The National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care has advised ministers to weigh the public trust factor heavily in their decision.
Palantir has defended its system’s performance, pointing to statistics showing trusts using the platform have performed 117,000 additional operations and achieved a 14.3% reduction in discharge delays for long-stay patients. The company stated the FDP has a green delivery rating and is exceeding its benefits forecast. Tom Watson, Palantir’s recently appointed chief lobbyist and former Labour MP, argued that competing solutions would have entered the procurement process if they were truly equivalent. However, critics including members of parliamentary committees and the health campaign group Medact argue the centralised approach has proven ineffective and that alternatives exist. They contend the NHS should instead focus on developing interoperability standards allowing individual trusts to select their own software solutions.
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