Many NHS trusts in England are declining to adopt Palantir's patient data technology, citing that their existing systems are comparable or superior.

Many NHS trusts in England are declining to adopt Palantir's patient data technology, citing that their existing systems are comparable or superior. These rejections come as NHS England approaches a decision point on extending its £330 million contract with Palantir for the Federated Data Platform (FDP).

Freedom of Information requests reveal that numerous health bodies across England believe they can find alternatives to Palantir's platform that are either equivalent or better. This skepticism emerges despite some trusts reporting benefits from the FDP, such as improved waiting list management and surgery scheduling.

Sixteen NHS trusts and health boards have stated they do not use Palantir's Federated Data Platform (FDP), which was introduced in March 2024. For example, a Suffolk trust indicated that other systems "supercede" the FDP's functionality. Greater Manchester's care board described the Palantir system as "duplicative" and "retrograde." Some organizations conducted trials of the FDP but subsequently returned to their previous systems.

NHS England awarded Palantir a £330 million contract in November 2023 to develop and operate the FDP over seven years. The platform aims to integrate fragmented patient data across the NHS to enhance clinical accuracy and efficiency. Palantir's involvement with the NHS began in March 2020, when it was brought in to assist with the NHS COVID-19 Data Store under emergency procurement rules. The initial contract was for a nominal £1 fee, later extended for £23 million. Critics have argued that this initial engagement gave Palantir an advantage in securing the larger FDP contract.

The contract includes a break clause in February 2027, prompting a review by NHS England. Nirav Patel, head of demand and delivery for the NHS FDP programme, stated in June 2026 that the platform is "here to stay" and is having a "profound impact" on NHS operations. However, he confirmed the contract would be reviewed to inform a decision on exercising the optional two-year extension, based on value for money, performance, and alignment with NHS priorities. Any extension would require ministerial approval.

Public and professional concerns about Palantir's involvement have been ongoing. More than 44,000 individuals have formally objected to the processing of their health information within the FDP, citing Article 21 of the UK GDPR. These objections require NHS England to assess whether it has compelling legitimate grounds to continue processing the data. Campaigners, including 38 Degrees, have coordinated these legal challenges, arguing that Palantir's involvement undermines trust in NHS data confidentiality.

The National Data Guardian, Dr. Nicola Byrne, warned in October 2026 that patient opt-outs due to concerns about Palantir could jeopardize the quality and representativeness of national health datasets. Dr. Byrne noted a "striking" level of public opposition, stemming from a perceived misalignment between Palantir's values and those of the NHS, as well as questions of national data sovereignty. She also highlighted concerns about the presentation of statistics regarding the FDP's benefits, which are under examination by the Office for Statistics Regulation.

The British Medical Association has called on doctors to limit their use of the FDP, and two House of Commons select committees have urged the government to use the upcoming break clause to end the contract with Palantir. The Chief Data and Analytics Officers Network, representing senior NHS data staff, has also expressed concerns and objected to the continuation of the Palantir contract.

Palantir maintains that its software is improving patient care, citing statistics such as 117,000 additional operations and a 14.3% reduction in discharge delays for long-stay patients. The company also states that patient data within the FDP remains under NHS control, is stored in the UK, and cannot be accessed, used, or shared by Palantir for its own purposes.