Green Party activists in the UK are campaigning to halt the National Health Service's use of software developed by the US tech firm Palantir, despite evidence the technology has been instrumental in speeding up cancer diagnoses and reducing patient waiting times. The party, along with other left-wing groups, is leveraging its influence in local authorities to pressure NHS trusts to discontinue the software.
Palantir, which has secured approximately £600 million in public sector contracts in the UK, has faced scrutiny from left-wing activists due to its previous work with U.S. immigration authorities and the Israeli military. A critical review period for Palantir's £330 million, seven-year contract with the NHS is approaching, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham needing to act by the end of the year if the agreement is to be terminated.
Local councils, including Sheffield, Rotherham, and East Hertfordshire, have seen near-identical motions brought forward by coalitions involving Green, Labour, and Liberal Democrat representatives, as well as groups like Amnesty International. In Sheffield, a joint Labour-Green administration oversees the council, while East Hertfordshire operates under a Green and Liberal Democrat coalition. Rotherham's motion, introduced in July and supported by Labour, called for the local NHS Foundation Trust to pause the expansion of Palantir's technology. Greens on Coventry City Council have also pushed for a review of the council's own contract with Palantir, which is used to assist social workers.
Green Party figure Zack Polanski has publicly urged Palantir's chief executive to withdraw the company from the NHS. In response, a Palantir spokesperson stated that such activism could prevent patients from accessing beneficial technology. The company highlighted that NHS trusts utilizing its software have reported 110,000 additional operations, a 15 percent decrease in delays for long-stay patients, and a 6.8 percent average improvement in meeting the NHS's 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard.
Louis Mosley, Palantir's UK chief executive, has previously emphasized that the company should be evaluated based on its delivery of services for patients in the country.