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NHS hospitals are being urged by a group of doctors, human rights groups and campaigners to reconsider using a major data platform built by US tech giant Palantir, whose owners include Peter Thiel, a close ally of US President Donald Trump.
The NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP) is a system designed to bring together information from across the health service so hospitals can analyse it more easily and improve how care is delivered.
Supporters say the technology is already helping the NHS treat more patients and manage pressure on services, but critics argue it raises wider concerns about privacy, ethics and the role of large technology companies in handling sensitive public sector data.
The FDP aims to connect operational data from across the NHS, including information about waiting lists, hospital capacity and patient pathways, allowing staff to plan care and allocate resources more effectively.
In 2023, NHS England awarded Palantir the contract for the platform worth up to £330m. The company says its technology is already improving how the service functions.
However, the deal has been strongly criticised by some healthcare workers and campaign groups like Medact, who have published a briefing urging NHS bodies to reconsider adopting the platform.
Dr Rhiannon Mihranian Osborne wants the contract to be scrapped, and has told Sky News that staff understand the importance of privacy and ethics in patient care.
She said they are “horrified” by Palantir’s involvement in the scheme as it “could seriously damage trust in our health system”.
Palantir co-founder & CEO Alex Karp in 2023. File pic: Reuters
She urged local hospitals not to adopt Palantir…
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