Health campaigners are stepping up pressure on the UK government to drop Palantir's NHS Federated Data Platform, with protests planned at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool and in London. MedAct and Just Treatment are leading the call against extending the contract, which could be worth up to £330 million over seven years. A September 30 deadline requires Palantir to provide NHS England with an exit plan should the government choose not to continue the arrangement.
The opposition is not limited to activist groups. The cross-party Science, Innovation and Technology Committee has said Palantir should not play such a significant role in the UK public sector, and the Chief Data and Analytics Officers Network, representing senior NHS data staff, has urged the government to consider the break clause. The network said the platform has been unable to demonstrate the expected level of evidence and realised value. The BMA, UNISON, and other unions have also raised concerns about data security and patient trust.
Palantir and NHS England argue the platform links data from disparate systems, helping hospitals use beds and operating theatres more efficiently and tackle the care backlog. Palantir maintains that all data processed through the platform belongs to the NHS and that disclosing it to anyone else would breach its contract. The source shows a sharp divide: campaigners cite Palantir's surveillance and military history and claim more than 85,000 patient complaints, while the company and NHS England point to operational benefits and an open procurement process.