Palantir mistrust raises concerns over NHS research data sharing
Health minister James Frith says public concern about Palantir could reduce willingness to share medical data, as the government reviews the company’s £330m contract.
Health innovation minister James Frith has warned that mistrust of Palantir could discourage patients from allowing their medical data to be used for NHS research and planning.
The warning follows figures showing that an additional 60,000 people opted out of NHS data use between mid-May and mid-July. Frith described the increase as “modest” but said it would be monitored. The rise coincided with media attention on Palantir, although the figures do not establish that the company caused the increase.
The government is considering whether to use a break clause in Palantir’s seven-year, £330m contract to operate the NHS federated data platform. Doctors’ and patients’ groups have urged ministers to end the arrangement, citing concerns about the company’s other government and military-related work and its access to identifiable patient data.
The national data opt-out prevents medical records being used for research and planning, but does not prevent their use in direct care. Frith said that if patients stopped sharing data, it might not be possible to realise the benefits of the government’s 10-year health plan.
Palantir and its supporters have pointed to reported improvements in NHS operations, including additional procedures, fewer discharge delays and faster cancer-result reporting. NHS England has reported similar figures but said it could not establish cause and effect, while the government’s statistics watchdog is investigating the performance data.
Frith also indicated that NHS trusts would not be required to use the Palantir-powered platform and could choose an alternative. The government has not decided whether to terminate or extend the contract.
