The National Health Service (NHS) has halted plans to train staff on Palantir's data platform amid significant pressure from Labour MPs and pro-Palestine advocacy groups. The training sessions were intended to familiarize healthcare workers with the Federated Data Platform (FDP), developed by the Florida-based firm, which aims to consolidate health data across the service. The contract, valued at £330 million, is up for review next year, adding to the uncertainty surrounding its future.
The decision to stop the training followed negative press coverage and objections from within the NHS's own Information Skills Development Network (ISDN). A former deputy director of data engineering at NHS England, Tom Bartlett, reported that a national webinar he was asked to lead was blocked by ISDN leaders who did not want to be "associated with it." Bartlett was informed that the network's leadership cited "articles that are coming out about Palantir" as the reason for not proceeding with the session, stating "now was not the right time."
Palantir, co-founded by tech billionaire Peter Thiel, has faced criticism for its work with U.S. immigration enforcement and the Israeli army. These associations have fueled opposition from some Labour MPs and pro-Palestine activists. The Labour-led Science and Technology Committee and the British Medical Association have also called for the contract to be scrapped.
Despite the opposition, Palantir's UK boss, Louis Mosley, has argued that terminating the contract would be "irresponsible" given the platform's purported benefits. He stated that the FDP has contributed to an increase in the number of operations, with official figures indicating an additional 110,000 procedures since its introduction. More than half of NHS trusts currently utilize the FDP, with full adoption expected by April 2028.
However, recent evaluations have cast doubt on the platform's effectiveness. An independent analysis commissioned by NHS England found that Palantir's tracking tools did not improve hospital discharge rates, contradicting previous claims by NHS England that the software had reduced delayed discharges by 15 percent.
Bartlett has suggested that Palantir has been subjected to misinformation and intimidation tactics, describing a "culture of silence and fear" that hinders open discussion about the technology. He noted that healthcare staff lack adequate training on the FDP due to the cancelled sessions, potentially impeding its acceleration. Bartlett called for Health Secretary Yvette Cooper and the Prime Minister to address the situation and foster a culture of openness.
NHS England stated that while it does not directly run ISDN events, free sessions on the FDP are available for NHS staff needing more information about the technology. The FDP is designed to improve data analysis for better patient care, but its controversial nature and the ongoing contract review continue to be subjects of intense scrutiny.