If data-sharing technology can be used to improve the NHS, by boosting workflows and making the use of operating theatres and other resources more efficient, this will be a good thing for the service and the public. Such is the claim made on behalf of the deal signed last week with the American company Palantir Technologies and four partners. For £330m over seven years, the businesses are contracted to build what is known as a federated data platform (FDP), through which England’s 42 integrated care systems and 215 health trusts, but not GPs or social care providers, will be able to share patient data in order to organise care and promote public health.
Palantir’s roots lie in military intelligence, making it a controversial partner. Its founder, Peter Thiel, backed Donald Trump in 2016, and the non-profit group Foxglove has launched a campaign and is threatening legal action to block a deal for which it claims the public’s consent has not been sought. But whatever happens in court, and putting to one side ethical concerns about Palantir itself, the case for the deal is weak. NHS press releases have claimed that there have been waiting list reductions in two trusts using Palantir’s Foundry software. But out of 36 trusts, the Health Service Journal reported that only eight cited any specific benefit from the pilot, while at least seven refused to join or pulled out.
