NHS England Faces Scrutiny Over Palantir Data Platform Claims
NHS England is under investigation after freedom of information requests revealed discrepancies in the reported usage of Palantir's £330m data platform.
Freedom of information requests have revealed that 29 hospital trusts listed by NHS England as realizing benefits from Palantir's £330m federated data platform (FDP) are either not using the system or have not yet gone live. This discovery contradicts claims from the agency that nearly 140 trusts reported benefits from the platform's tools.
The controversy extends to performance claims, as the Office for Statistics Regulation is now investigating NHS England's assertion that the AI-powered technology increased operations by over 117,000 in a single year. NHS England has defended the data, arguing that some trusts are counted as live because they utilize the platform for back-office data submission rather than direct patient care.
In response, MPs and critics are urging Health Secretary Yvette Cooper to activate a 2027 break clause to terminate the contract. Palantir executives have dismissed these criticisms as political. To defend the deal, Palantir recently hired former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson as a senior lobbyist.
