NHS counts Palantir benefits at trusts that say they're not using it

What happened

A campaign group called Medact asked NHS trusts how they use the Federated Data Platform (FDP). This is a software system from the US company Palantir that joins up data held in separate computer systems. Twenty-nine trusts said in their replies that they are not using it. NHS England still lists these trusts as getting benefits from it.

Key numbers

• 29 trusts said they are not using the platform. This is about 21 percent of the 137 trusts NHS England lists as getting benefits.
• £330 million is the value of the deal with a Palantir-led group.
• NHS England's September figures list 142 trusts as live on the platform.
• The first NHS contracts with Palantir, worth £60 million, were given out without competition during the pandemic.

Background

NHS England chose the FDP in November 2023. NHS England says the platform helps staff work more efficiently. Palantir says the software has helped deliver 100,000 extra operations and cut discharge delays by 12 percent. In July, the UK's statistics watchdog told NHS England to be more accurate when it quotes figures about the platform.

Why it matters

The story questions whether the government's claims about the platform are true. It also comes as ministers decide whether to keep a large contract that handles sensitive patient information. A government minister has said the contract has ways to leave it, but has not shared full details of the exit plan. MPs want to know what happens if the contract ends.

What to watch

• Bullets: The government's decision on whether to continue the £330 million deal, due in December. Whether NHS England explains why 29 trusts say they do not use the platform. The response from the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, which asked the government to explain its exit plans.