Green activists, leveraging their influence in local government, are urging the UK's National Health Service (NHS) to discontinue the use of software developed by the US tech company Palantir. This push comes despite data indicating that the software has contributed to speeding up cancer diagnoses and reducing patient waiting lists. Palantir has secured a total of £600 million in public sector contracts in the UK.
Left-wing activists have targeted Palantir due to its previous work with U.S. immigration authorities and the Israeli military. A critical clause in Palantir's seven-year NHS contract, valued at £330 million, requires Prime Minister Andy Burnham to act by the end of the year to terminate it. Several local councils, including Sheffield, Rotherham, and East Hertfordshire, have passed near-identical motions opposing Palantir's involvement with the NHS.
The Sheffield City Council is jointly administered by Labour and the Green Party, while the East Hertfordshire District Council operates under a coalition of Green and Liberal Democrat councillors. In Rotherham, an Independent councillor introduced a motion in July, seconded by a Green Party councillor and supported by Labour, calling on the Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust to halt the expansion of Palantir's technology.
Green Party member Zack Polanski has been vocal in his opposition, writing to Palantir's chief executive in January to demand the company cease its work with the NHS. Despite these efforts, a spokesperson for Palantir stated that such actions risk denying patients access to beneficial technology. The company highlighted that NHS trusts utilizing its software have reported 110,000 additional operations, a 15% decrease in delays for long-stay patients being discharged, and an average 6.8% improvement in meeting the NHS's 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard.
Louis Mosley, Palantir's UK chief executive, has previously stated that the company's performance should be evaluated based on its delivery of patient care in the UK. In addition to its NHS contract, Palantir also has an agreement with Coventry City Council for software used to assist social workers.