Campaigners fear a multi-billion dollar US tech firm is in pole position to scoop the biggest private contract in NHS history.
Colorado-based Palantir Technologies is thought to be in the running for the health service’s £360million “Federated Data Platform”, which will boost the use of data analysis.
The NHS has described the system as a future “operating system for the health service”.
Palantir is already contracted to the NHS, having been among big tech firms to team up with the health service to ensure vital medical equipment was available to the facilities most in need during the coronavirus outbreak.
Just one month has been allocated for firms to initially bid for the deal, which insiders say is unusual for such a high-value contract.
The procurement was launched on January 10 and the competition closes on Thursday, according to the Government’s online tender.
The Mirror has been told the short-time span could offer a boost to a bid by Palantir because it would benefit from its existing links.
Industry sources stressed the overall procurement period was longer than just one month.
But Dr Martin Blanchard, of Keep Our NHS Public said: “This procurement is a farce and the contract winner, Palantir, already has its feet under the table in NHS England.
“There is no time for a true competition given the deadline for alternative providers and the complexity of the matter.”
He added: “It is sad to see how far we have come in this Government’s drive to commercialise the NHS.”
The five-year contract is due to start in September, with an option for two 12-month extensions worth another £120m.
The advert says: “The data platform will be owned and controlled by the NHS to unlock the power of NHS data to understand patterns, solve problems, plan services for local populations and ultimately transform the health and care of the people they serve.”
Palantir’s website says it builds “software that empowers organisations to effectively integrate their data, decisions, and operation”.
It boasts of a current deal with the health service, saying: “The NHS uses Palantir Foundry to make better use of data to improve patients' lives.
“Foundry is world-class software that's having outsized impact across the healthcare sector.
“Foundry helps front-line clinicians and support staff focus on delivering better patient care by placing the right information at their fingertips.
“It connects the back-office software systems and analytics teams directly with care givers.
“With security and information governance as a first-order priority, Foundry helps healthcare providers make the best decisions, at speed.”
In a tweet last week, the firm boasted that Rishi Sunak had praised the firm.
It posted: “According to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Palantir Foundry is doing ‘a really good job’ in reducing the elective care backlog.
“We’re proud our software is helping NHS England staff to reduce waiting lists and improve patient outcomes.”
The post quoted the PM saying: “Foundry is one (system) that does a really good job.
“At Chelsea and Wesmtinster (this technology) led to almost one third reduction in their backlog.”
But other Tory MPs have previously spoken out about Palantir - which has a host of other contracts in other sectors across the globe - being used by the NHS.
Speaking in June 2021, ex-Brexit Secretary David Davis, who has campaigned to protect civil liberties and against privacy invasions, told the Commons: “Patient trust is vital to our NHS, so foreign tech companies such as Palantir, with their history of supporting mass surveillance, assisting in drone strikes, immigration raids and predictive policing, must not be placed at the heart of our NHS.”
Trades Union Congress assistant general secretary Kate Bell said today: "The public deserve to know how their health data is being used and who it is being shared with.
"The prospect of big corporations being handed the keys to millions of patients' records is really worrying.
"We need full transparency and openness from the Government on why companies like Palantir are being given access to our NHS.
"People's private health data is not something that should be monetised or traded - it should be handled ethically and for our direct benefit only.
"The public needs to have confidence this Government can do that, but the Conservatives' track record of handing out contracts without proper scrutiny is appalling."
Lib Dem health spokesman Lord Richard Allan said: "Previous Governments have wasted millions on NHS IT projects that failed to deliver and this Government has wasted billions buying dodgy PPE.
"We need the highest levels of scrutiny to make sure this project does not go the same way.
"It is essential to avoid contracts that lock the NHS into using a particular vendor.
“If a supplier does not perform we have to be able to kick them out and switch to a better option."
Joanna Peller, who co-leads Palantir’s NHS work, said the company was “proud to have supported the NHS during Covid, when our software was used for the vaccine rollout and to distribute PPE and ventilators”.
She added: “We’re equally proud we are currently helping to reduce the care backlog, cut the amount of time nurses and doctors need to spend on administrative tasks, and speed up cancer diagnosis - all while rigorously protecting data privacy.
“Most importantly, we are seeing promising results - for instance at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, which has seen a 28% waiting list reduction and suspected cancer patients being seen two days faster.”
An NHS spokesman said: “NHS England is conducting a fair and transparent procurement for the Federated Data Platform and Associated Services contract in line with public contracts regulations.
“The 30-day period advertised in the contract notice only relates to the time-period suppliers can register their interest in the opportunity and complete the standard selection questionnaire.
“The procurement is anticipated to complete in late summer 2023.”
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