- NHS chief data officer says Palantir delivers ‘outstanding results’
- Palantir contractors have accessed data from 1.5 million NHS staff
- NHS staff are worried about the ethical concerns of Palantir’s NHS contract
UK NHS chief data officer Ming Tang has claimed that Palantir is delivering “outstanding results” despite the company’s rocky reputation.
Palantir has developed the Federated Data Platform (FDP) as part of its £330m contract with the NHS to help the government “reinvent the NHS” through more effective waiting list management, appointment allocation, diagnoses and personalization of care.
But NHS staff have raised concerns about the protection of personal data, misuse of the FDP’s centralized database and the implications of Palantir’s growing involvement in the UK public sector.
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Is Palantir improving NHS services?
In its involvement with the NHS, Palantir has said that FDP has “helped deliver 110,000 additional operations, a 15.3% reduction in discharge delays and a 6.8% increase” in cancer diagnoses within 28 days of referral.
Tang further attested to the “outstanding results” achieved by Palantir, stating that the NHS is looking to achieve “maximum product penetration” of FDP’s tools and software across a core group of hospitals over the next 12 months.
An internal memo shared by Tang, seen by Financial Timesalso addressed Palantir’s reputation, saying: “While the media and campaign groups continue to raise questions about our technology supplier, the program is focused on the evidence: FDP delivers.” Tang added that her team must “maintain our focus” in light of growing concerns over Palantir’s involvement in the NHS.
Palantir’s tarnished reputation stems from the use of its ImmigrationOS and Enhanced Leads Identification & Targeting for Enforcement (ELITE) software by US ICE agents in the deportation of immigrants to the US who arrive illegally. Several US citizens have also been swept up in arrests in several US cities.
Concerns have also been raised about Palantir’s use of medical data to track and target suspected illegal migrants in real time. In Britain, the Reform Party has pledged to create a British version of ICE if the party wins power at the next election, meaning Palantir’s involvement in the UK public sector could help with Reform’s plans for mass deportations.
Why are NHS staff concerned about Palantir access?
Further concerns have been raised by NHS staff about Palantir’s involvement in the NHS after insiders revealed that The Guardian that at least six Palantir contractors had been given NHS.net email accounts, which also give them access to a database of up to 1.5 million NHS staff. The database contains personnel information, including role, location, workplace, email address and mobile number.
It’s not unusual for contractors to access databases like these, and access to employee data is likely necessary for effective implementation of FDP — but staff have taken issue with Palantir accessing personal information without their consent, and some have refused to use FDP all together.
Other employees have disclosed that Palantir employees participated in virtual Microsoft Teams meetings using NHS email accounts without disclosing who they worked for.
A spokesman for Palantir said: “Our role is to provide software. How this software is used is completely under the control of the NHS with data that can only be processed in accordance with their strict instructions.” The NHS email policy states that access can be given to “independent sector organizations that deliver health and social care services nationally.”
An NHS spokesman said: “All suppliers, including Palantir, and their staff operate only under NHS direction, with all data access remaining under NHS control and governed by strict contractual confidentiality obligations.”
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