‘Mistrust’ of Palantir may affect NHS research, says health minister

Health innovation minister James Frith warned that growing mistrust of US defence‑tech firm Palantir could undermine patients’ willingness to share data with the NHS, after new figures showed a sharp rise in opt‑outs. In the two‑month period from mid‑May to mid‑July, 60,000 additional people withdrew their private information via the national data opt‑out, a mechanism that prevents records from being used for research and planning but not for direct care. Frith raised the issue in a letter to Commons health committee chair Layla Moran, noting that the increase coincided with heightened media scrutiny of Palantir’s £330 million contract to run the NHS’s federated data platform (FDP), a system intended to boost efficiency and patient outcomes.

The surge in opt‑outs has fed calls from doctors, patient groups and Labour MPs to invoke a break clause in Palantir’s seven‑year deal, citing the company’s controversial work with the Israeli military and the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, as well as questions over value for money. Supporters of Palantir point to internal data claiming the AI‑driven platform has helped trusts record 110,000 extra operations, cut discharge delays for long‑stay patients by 15 % and improve the proportion of cancer patients receiving a diagnosis within 28 days by 6.8 %. NHS England reported similar figures but said it could not establish causality, prompting a government statistics watchdog to investigate. Meanwhile, London’s mayor Sadiq Khan blocked a separate £50 million police contract with Palantir, arguing public funds should go to companies that share the city’s values; Palantir is now suing over that decision.

Frith acknowledged the opt‑out rise as “modest” but said it would be closely monitored, warning that a broader withdrawal of data could jeopardise the NHS’s ten‑year health plan. He also signalled a policy shift, stating there is no longer a requirement for trusts to use the FDP and that alternatives may be preferred, a softened stance welcomed by Moran but contested by the Department of Health and Social Care, which maintains the platform has never been mandatory. Campaign group Foxglove praised the minister’s recognition of public concern, citing founder Peter Thiel’s remarks that the NHS “makes people sick.” The debate now centres on whether the government will act swiftly to replace Palantir before February, as critics argue prolonged indecision could further erode public confidence and limit the NHS’s ability to harness data‑driven improvements.

⚡ Effects Interpreter