MPs intensify pressure on Labour to scrap Palantir's £330m NHS contract

A second parliamentary committee has urged Labour to abandon Palantir’s £330m contract with the NHS, piling pressure on the government over the US tech firm’s role in handling sensitive health data. In a letter to health minister Preet Gill published on Thursday, the Health and Social Care committee chair, Layla Moran, wrote: “We are seriously concerned that the lack of trust in how NHS data is used, managed and shared will act as a deterrent from people sharing their medical data and limit the ability of the NHS to release the benefits of the digital transformation that this Government is seeking to deliver.” The cross-party group cited “serious mistrust” among the public and medical profession, contested evidence of benefits, and questioned the availability of alternative tools. NHS England admitted last month that it cannot conclusively attribute improvements to Palantir’s federated data platform. The Science, Innovation and Technology committee last month also called for the government to exercise a February 2027 break clause and develop an in-house or UK alternative. Palantir, co-founded by Trump-supporting tech billionaire Peter Thiel, also works for the US, Israeli and UK militaries. Its chief executive, Alex Karp, last year responded to a claim that its technology kills Palestinians by saying “mostly terrorists, that’s true”. Up to 117 NHS data and technology workers broke ranks to call for the deal to be axed, warning in a letter to health secretary James Murray that “data completeness will be compromised by the erosion of patient trust; data privacy protections are inadequate and data structures are at risk of misuse.” One senior data professional who requested anonymity said: “The FDP has not shown me any significant technological benefits whatsoever. A frankly mediocre software is being forced on NHS data systems at the expense of patient trust, professional integrity and the fundamental values of the NHS. How can we say we want to use software for saving lives when that same software is also used to kill and ruin lives?” Palantir defended its record, saying its software “is helping to deliver better patient care – including 110,000 additional operations to date, a 15% reduction in discharge delays and a 6.8% increase in patients finding out whether they need cancer treatment within 28 days.” The company added that the software is part of a government programme with a green delivery rating, forecast to deliver £5 for every £1 spent, and stressed that “how that software is used is controlled by the NHS Trusts who use it, with data – legally and contractually – only able to be processed strictly in accordance with their instructions.” The mounting parliamentary opposition – backed by the London mayor Sadiq Khan, who in May blocked the Metropolitan police from awarding a £50m contract to Palantir – leaves Labour facing a difficult choice as the February 2027 renewal deadline approaches.