NHS Palantir contract faces scrutiny over disputed benefits

An investigation by the medical charity Medact has found discrepancies in how the NHS reports the benefits of Palantir’s Federated Data Platform (FDP). While NHS England claims 137 trusts are realizing benefits from the AI-powered platform, Medact reports that 29 of these trusts, approximately 21 percent, stated in Freedom of Information responses that they are either not using the system or that it is not yet live.

One specific example cited is the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, which stated the FDP is not live and that it does not intend to roll it out because it provides no functionality beyond existing systems. Nottingham University Hospitals also noted that no implementation timeline has been agreed upon.

The controversy comes as the UK government weighs the future of the £330 million deal with the Palantir-led consortium. Critics, including Labour MP Chi Onwurah, have called for the government to exercise a 2027 break clause in the contract. Concerns regarding the deal include the potential misuse of patient data and Palantir’s previous work with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Israeli military.

In response to the discrepancies, an NHS spokesperson stated that the platform is universally available to all trusts and integrated care boards, allowing local organizations to select individual tools based on their specific needs.