The NHS England announced Tuesday that US data analytics company Palantir had won a contract worth £330mn for the development of a new platform to store patient data.
NHS England stated that the software called Federated Data Platform would “make it easier for staff to get key information in order to provide better and more timely care to patients” by bringing existing patient data together. The platform will be implemented next year, according to NHS England.
Palantir, led by Alex Karp, chief executive, and co-founded with Peter Thiel, a prominent tech investor who has backed Donald Trump, became the NHS’s go-to provider of data analytics during the coronavirus outbreak.
NHS England announced on Tuesday that Accenture, PwC NECS, and Carnall Farrar would all support Palantir. NHS England said that no company participating in the Federated Data Platform could access health data without explicit NHS permission.
NHS England stated that the contract could be worth up to £330mn over seven years.
Palantir has a strong connection to the intelligence, security and defence sectors. NHS staff and medical unions expressed concerns in recent months about the suitability of Palantir to run national healthcare systems. They also voiced their concern over the dangers that the service relies on a private company for crucial functions.
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins stated that the platform will “sit across NHS trusts as well as integrated care systems and allow them to connect data already held, such a health records, wait lists, theatre and staff rosters in a secure and safe environment to better manage patient’s care”.
She said: “The FDP supports key priorities for the NHS including recovery of elective healthcare and improvement of discharge procedures to get medically-fit patients treated and back home faster.”
NHS England stated that the software will allow staff to “plan, maximise and maximize resources such as operating theater and outpatient clinic times to ensure more timely care for patients”.
Atkins, in response to concerns raised about the private sector’s access to NHS data and the UK, has stated that “data won’t leave the UK”.
Amnesty International, a human rights organization, said that the contract had “huge implications” for data protection. It added that Palantir must give “cast-iron assurances” that they will not monetise patient data.
Amnesty International UK’s Business and Human Rights Director, Peter Frankental said: “The public that relies on the NHS needs to be confident that their consent will be sought at every stage of data collection, as well as assurance that their information won’t end up being harvested by Palantir to serve purposes that are unrelated to their health.”
Former Minister David Davis, who was outspoken in his opposition to the awarding of the contract to Palantir, stated: “The NHS doesn’t understand how sensitive, fragile and dangerous public data is.
“You cannot anonymise your medical data.” . . It’s just too expensive, you can’t afford it.”
Karp, Palantir’s Karp, responded to the announcement: “This award is the culmination 20 years of development software that allows complex, sensitive data be integrated in a manner that respects privacy, protects security and gives the customer full control.
The NHS is the most important institution in Britain. We are proud to be chosen to supply this software to England, to help reduce waiting lists, improve care for patients and reduce health disparities.
Vin Diwakar is NHS England’s National Medical Director for Secondary Care. He said that better data use was essential to the NHS in order to reduce waiting times, integrate patient care, and make it sustainable for the future.