Hackney councillors have raised concerns over the NHS’s new Federated Data Platform (FDP) and its partnership with US tech firm Palantir, warning that the deal could threaten patient trust, data privacy, and local ethical commitments.
In late 2023, Palantir won a seven-year £330m NHS England contract to collect and centralise data from up to 240 NHS trusts and care systems.
The platform, delivered through a consortium led by Palantir, aims to improve data consistency and reporting while complying with UK data protection laws.
The Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation trust, located in Hackney, is already contributing emergency admissions data.
At a council meeting last week, Duncan McCann from the Good Law Project cautioned that Palantir’s track record in surveillance and immigration enforcement raised serious civil liberties questions, values which do not align with the NHS.
McCann said: “Companies do have personalities, and they do vary in how they comply.
“Peter Thiel is on record as saying the NHS is making people sick, that we’re suffering Stockholm syndrome because we love it so much.
“Alex Karp is unable to say whether humanity should survive.”
NHS England says the FDP will help clinicians make faster, safer decisions by securely linking data across hospitals and care systems.
This raw information is incredibly valuable, covering every social group, age, condition and ethnicity — a resource which could be used to develop new medicines, but could also be sold for a fortune.
By comparison, there is no US equivalent because of privatised healthcare.
Ethical Concerns
Palantir has become one of the most controversial organisations in contemporary America.
The company’s work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the US Department of Defence, and the Israeli military has sparked protests across the world.
Earlier this year, staff accused the firm of enabling authoritarianism.
McCann said: “We’ve campaigned against many adversaries, but I don’t think there is one which unites people as much as Palantir.”
He noted that polling shows as many as 50% of people may opt out of FDP if the data is shared with Palantir, hugely devaluing the data.
Sanctuary Status
Councillor Grace Adebayo asked if migrants and asylum seekers would have the option to opt out of data sharing, given concerns about potential misuse by the Home Office.
McCann clarified that while there were currently no plans to share data between agencies, he feared the gradual expansion of the system’s purpose beyond its original intention, known as ‘function creep’.
He explained: “At that stage, people would not be able to opt out of that bit of data sharing because the government would claim a legal basis for performing a public duty.”
Furthermore, Councillor Claudia Turbet-Delof questioned how the scheme aligns with Hackney’s goal of achieving borough of sanctuary status by 2026, ensuring access to local services regardless of immigration status.
Medical Pushback
Nick Mann, an ex-GP who works with Keep Our NHS Public, highlighted that two previous NHS data projects (NPfIT and Care.data) have failed due to public concerns over privacy and data security.
Mann said: “Trusts using FTP at the moment are finding that it’s not integrating, it doesn’t work, and that it’s no better than what’s being offered at the moment.
“Many of the people on the ground are saying they’ve been sold a pup.”
The British Medical Association has come out officially against the contract, citing the firm’s track record of creating discriminatory policing software in the US, a lack of clarity regarding how sensitive data would be processed, and overall incompatibility with the values upheld in the delivery of care.
When NHS England originally published the contract, 416 of its 586 pages were redacted, the kind of censorship usually found in a sensitive military contract.
Councillor Ian Rathbone warned of re-identification risks, citing an Australian case where anonymised data was later traced to individuals.
Critics say the contract also creates vendor lock-in, preventing the government from understanding or replicating the system once the deal ends.
Palantir have been approached for comment.
Feature Photo Credit: Nicolas J Leclercq via Upslash
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