Data watchdog urges ministers to weigh trust in Palantir's NHS platform
Sixteen NHS trusts and health boards in England say they do not use the US firm Palantir's £330m patient data platform, The Guardian reported. The watchdog for health data has urged ministers to give trust in the firm substantial weight, The Guardian and The i Paper reported. Palantir says the platform works well.
Sixteen NHS trusts and health boards in England have said they do not use the £330m federated data platform run by the US company Palantir, according to more than two dozen freedom of information responses reviewed by The Guardian. University Hospitals Birmingham said it saw "limited expected benefit over existing solutions," and Greater Manchester's care board called the system "duplicative" and "retrograde," The Guardian reported. Some health bodies said it had helped manage waiting lists and surgery scheduling, the outlet added. The responses were gathered by Medact, a campaign group that opposes Palantir's role in the NHS.
The findings follow a warning from the National Data Guardian, Nicola Byrne. In a letter to health minister James Frith, she said "public and professional trust should be given substantial weight when evaluating any supplier," The i Paper reported. She warned that "without sufficient trust, the system is unlikely to be adopted widely enough to fulfil its potential," according to The i Paper. The Guardian reported that Byrne urged ministers to weigh the "trust factor." More than 44,000 people have lodged legal objections to their records being used on the platform, The Guardian and The i Paper reported.
Palantir rejected the criticism. A spokesperson called the platform "objectively, a successful programme" and accused Medact of "slanted analysis," The Guardian reported. Tom Watson, Palantir's UK senior vice-president, said the watchdog's letter "ignores critical facts," according to The i Paper. NHS England said 137 trusts have reported benefits from the platform's tools, The Guardian reported.
The government faces a decision on the future of the seven-year contract, The Guardian and The i Paper reported. Two Commons committees have urged ministers to end it, The Guardian and The i Paper reported. Prime Minister Andy Burnham is expected to make the final call, The i Paper reported.
What we know: Many trusts say they do not use the platform, and the data watchdog has warned ministers that trust matters.
What we don't: Whether ministers will extend the Palantir contract, and when they will decide.
Where outlets agree The Guardian and The i Paper report that the National Data Guardian urged ministers to give substantial weight to trust in Palantir's NHS data platform.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.