Overview
- Government officials are assessing how to use a contract break to replace Palantir on the Federated Data Platform, which links data across NHS trusts to manage waiting lists and hospital flow.
- A senior figure quoted by the Financial Times said removal is technically feasible with no final decision yet, while NHS digital leads cautioned that any switch would be possible but highly disruptive.
- NHS figures credit the platform with more than 110,000 extra operations and a 6.8% drop in waits over 28 days for a cancer diagnosis, gains Palantir argues would be at risk if the deal is cut short.
- Doctors’ bodies and parties including the BMA, the Greens, and the Liberal Democrats want the contract ended over privacy and ethical concerns tied to Palantir’s work for US defense and immigration agencies.
- Any break would come before a planned up-to-three-year independent review by Imperial College Projects and a 2027 contract review, as the programme’s whole-life cost is forecast to top £1bn despite a top “green” delivery rating.