UK NHS grants Palantir and Google access to patient data amid parliamentary criticism

The National Health Service in England has awarded a £330 million contract to U.S. firm Palantir Technologies to help build a federated data platform that aggregates NHS datasets. Under the agreement, Palantir staff can view identifiable patient information before it is pseudonymised, and the contract also includes free technical support from Google.

Documents obtained by the Guardian and Financial Times reveal that Palantir receives “unlimited access to non‑NHSE staff” and can see personal details such as contact information, health conditions, race, occupation and even past criminal records. The contracts were initially undisclosed, but were later released after legal pressure.

Members of Parliament and patient‑rights groups have condemned the arrangement, warning that it jeopardises privacy and public trust. Labour MP Rachael Maskell said, “As Palantir get their claws deeper into our NHS data we can see how it is opening it up to greater private interest.” The Patients Association called for transparency and clear limits on data access.

NHS England maintains that patient information remains protected within NHS systems, but the controversy has intensified scrutiny of private‑sector involvement in British public services.