health

NHS staff resist using Palantir under £330m data deal

Clinical and nonclinical NHS workers say they are refusing to use Palantir's Federated Data Platform amid ethical, privacy and trust concerns, complicating a £330 million programme meant to reduce care delays.

Apr 3rd 2026 · United Kingdom

Insights

  • NHS staff report boycotting Palantir's Federated Data Platform because they do not trust the company on ethical and privacy grounds.
  • The FDP was commissioned under a 2023 £330 million contract to connect NHS systems and help clear care backlogs.
  • Implementation has been delayed at several trusts and the British Medical Association has urged doctors to stop using the system.
  • Critics point to Palantir's links to US government agencies and past work with US immigration enforcement as reasons for mistrust.
  • Government officials are weighing a contractual break clause over transparency and patient data concerns while Palantir denies ideological motives and continues to win short-term UK contracts.