A senior NHS official stepped down from her role advising on the Federated Data Platform (FDP) contract with Palantir due to potential conflicts of interest arising from her previous advisory work for the company. The official had reportedly pushed for the integration of patient data into Palantir's platform while also advising the firm. This revelation comes amid increasing scrutiny of Palantir's $330 million, seven-year contract with NHS England to build the FDP, which aims to collate health waiting lists, patient information, and other sensitive data. The official's recusal highlights broader concerns regarding transparency and potential undue influence in the awarding and implementation of the contract.
Ministers are currently exploring the possibility of activating a break clause in Palantir's contract, which could allow the NHS to terminate the agreement before its scheduled end in 2027. This consideration is driven by pressure from MPs, NHS staff, and medical trade unions who have voiced concerns about both the suitability of Palantir as a data management provider for national health systems and issues with the platform's adoption and perceived benefits. While a senior government figure stated confidence in the ability to switch providers, some hospital trusts have been slow to adopt Palantir's software, finding it not significantly useful or already possessing similar internal systems.
The cost of the FDP program is projected to exceed $1 billion over its lifespan. Despite this, the Treasury's National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (Nista) has given the project a high "green rating" for successful delivery on time and on budget. However, Liberal Democrat MP Martin Wrigley has criticized the contract, stating it leaves the NHS with no intellectual property rights for the software built and that only a quarter of user organizations report benefits. Palantir, represented by UK Head of Health Partnerships Stephen Childs, maintains its software is helping deliver better patient care, citing improved operations, reduced discharge delays, and increased cancer diagnosis rates.
