The British government is under growing pressure to reconsider a £330 million contract between the National Health Service (NHS) and US technology company Palantir, amid concerns over patient trust, data security and the country’s reliance on foreign technology providers.
According to TVC News, the contract, awarded in 2023, covers the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP), a system designed to help hospitals coordinate services, manage appointments and make more efficient use of available resources. About two-thirds of NHS hospitals have reportedly adopted the platform.
The NHS maintains that sensitive patient information remains stored in the United Kingdom, is not owned by Palantir and is neither sold commercially nor used to train artificial intelligence systems. Palantir has also claimed that the platform has helped facilitate 110,000 additional operations and contributed to reductions in waiting lists.
Opposition to the arrangement has nevertheless intensified, with the British Medical Association urging doctors not to use the platform over concerns about patient trust, data security and NHS independence. Campaigners and medical organisations are also planning demonstrations at several hospitals and outside Palantir’s London headquarters.
The controversy comes as the government reviews the contract, with ministers expected to decide by December whether to activate a break clause that would prevent the agreement from continuing beyond March 2027. AFP, cited by TVC News, reported that a YouGov poll published in July found that 65 per cent of Britons supported ending the contract.
The dispute has also fuelled a broader debate over Britain’s dependence on US technology providers. Liberal Democrat MP Martin Wrigley has called for a UK-based alternative, while NHS Greater Manchester has developed its own data platform. Its chief data officer, Matt Hennessey, told AFP that the locally developed system is better suited to the needs of patients in the region.
Palantir has expanded its presence across Britain’s public sector, including through a £240 million defence contract signed in 2025. The company has also faced resistance in London, where Mayor Sadiq Khan blocked a proposed £50 million Metropolitan Police contract in May, prompting Palantir to launch legal action.
