Palantir secures £330m NHS contract

Concerns over patient data ethics, Palantir's lobbying tactics and costs aren't going away

After considerable speculation NHS England has finally confirmed that it has awarded a £330 million contract to Palantir for the operation of its forthcoming Federated Data Platform (FDP).

The project, spanning seven years, will involve collaboration with Accenture, PwC, NECS, and Carnall Farrar. Palantir, in partnership with Accenture, secured the deal despite a bid from a UK based consortium.

Palantir, the software company co-founded by billionaire Peter Thiel, will work with the NHS to establish the FDP, designed to integrate data from across the NHS into a central repository.

Concerns about Palantir

The contract, specific to the NHS in England and excluding Scotland and Wales, has sparked concerns among some in the medical establishment, civil society groups, and MPs. Considerable skepticism has been expressed about the wisdom of entrusting Palantir, known for its military-related work in the United States, with the responsibility of constructing what could evolve into one of the world's largest repositories of health data.

Issues of privacy, the company's ties to libertarian investor Peter Thiel, a major donor to President Donald J. Trump's 2016 campaign and Palantir's assertive lobbying tactics to secure this and related contracts have fueled apprehension - along with the revelation that Palantir planned to buy its way in to the NHS in any event. Questions have also arisen about the effectiveness of the technology.

Despite all of these reservations, Palantir emerged as the preferred candidate, having earned the trust of senior government officials during its pivotal role in managing data related to the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent vaccine rollout.

The company's involvement in these critical initiatives, along with its assistance in addressing patient backlogs for surgeries and healthcare, contributed to its prominence in the healthcare sector. At this point Palantir provided free of charge access to its products and services for the NHS - a strategy of which many expressed concerns because it would put the company in pole position for future bids for much bigger contracts.

Anonymisation and opt-outs remain contentious

NHS England defended its decision, stating that the FDP would consolidate existing NHS data, facilitating easier access for staff to crucial information, ultimately enhancing patient care. Palantir CEO Alex Karp expressed confidence that the system would contribute to reducing waiting lists and addressing health inequalities.

Originally projected at £480 million, the cost of constructing the data platform has been subject to scrutiny. The NHS clarified on Tuesday that additional funds were allocated for enhancing privacy features and allowing other companies to bid for developing new products on the platform in the future.

The controversy surrounding Palantir's involvement in reshaping the NHS technology landscape is likely to remain a focal point of public debate in the coming months. The extent to which medical data can ever be truly anonymised is a matter of debate.

It had also been mooted that individuals could opt out of having their data shared via the National Data Opt-out. However, speaking this morning on the BBC Radio 4 Today program Dr Vin Diwaker, NHS National Director for Transformation explained that the National Data Opt-out was purely applied to patient data being used for research. which is separate from this particular contract. Patients will not have the option to opt out of their data being part of the FDP.