Numerous NHS organisations across England are rejecting Palantir’s federated data platform (FDP), according to freedom of information responses analysed by health campaign group Medact. The data reveals that at least 16 trusts and health boards have declared they do not use the system, which was introduced in March 2024 as part of a seven-year contract worth £330 million.
Among those declining adoption are major healthcare providers including University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, which serves more than 2 million people, and the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust. These organisations stated that the Palantir system does not provide functionality beyond their existing software solutions. Other trusts conducted trials and subsequently reverted to their previous systems, with some describing the platform as “duplicative” and “retrograde.” Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust reported that the system has not offered significant improvements over local alternatives.
The rejections come amid broader controversy surrounding Palantir’s involvement with the NHS, including concerns about the company’s contracts with Israeli military forces and US homeland security operations. Public opposition has also focused on Peter Thiel, the billionaire co-founder of Palantir, who made critical statements about the NHS. Additionally, over 44,000 individuals have filed legal objections regarding their health data being shared with or stored through the FDP.
Palantir has defended its system’s effectiveness, noting that participating trusts have reportedly conducted 117,000 additional operations and achieved a 14.3% reduction in discharge delays for long-stay patients. However, NHS England has cautioned that cause-and-effect conclusions cannot be drawn as other variables remain uncontrolled. Parliamentary select committees have urged the government to terminate Palantir’s contract, and the government now faces a decision on whether to exercise a break clause in the agreement.
Palantir’s senior vice-president Tom Watson, a former Labour MP recently appointed as the company’s chief lobbyist, countered criticism by suggesting that alternative providers would have competed in an open process. Critics argue that centralised solutions cannot effectively serve diverse NHS trusts and that returning to interoperable systems with individual trust software would be preferable.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI