Palantir Lobbied UK Minister to Access NHS GP Records

Palantir Technologies Inc. lobbied former health minister Zubir Ahmed to integrate NHS GP records into its federated data platform (FDP), according to WhatsApp messages obtained by the campaign group Foxglove. The effort contradicts a 2023 government pledge that primary care data would remain outside the scope of the company's £330 million contract.

Louis Mosley, the UK head of Palantir, urged Ahmed to preempt political opposition from doctors and critics. The company argued that joining primary and secondary care data is necessary to improve preventative care and GP access. However, the British Medical Association and other critics warned that this expansion of scope could undermine patient trust.

Health Secretary Yvette Cooper is currently reviewing the contract. While Palantir continues to lobby for an extension beyond the current 2029 endpoint, Cooper has indicated a long-term objective to utilize the NHS to develop UK sovereign AI.