Healthcare campaigners turn up the heat on Palantir at Labour conference

Campaigners against Palantir's involvement in the UK's health sector are set to make themselves heard this week with planned protests at the Labour Party conference and in London. Health justice charity MedAct and medical campaign group Just Treatment are coordinating a protest at the ruling party's annual conference in Liverpool as ministers consider whether to extend the NHS's contract with the US spy-tech company. The groups are among those urging the government not to extend the Palantir-led Federated Data Platform (FDP) contract, which could be worth up to 330 million over seven years. In June, the cross-party Science, Innovation and Technology Committee said Palantir should not play such a significant role in the UK public sector. It urged the government not to extend the FDP contract in 2027 and instead to develop an in-house replacement or seek a UK provider. "Vendor lock-in isn't inevitable, and the current position leaves us seriously exposed," committee chair Dame Chi Onwurah said. Palantir won the lead role in the 330 million FDP contract in November 2023 following a procurement process that NHS England maintains was open and fair. The award followed 60 million in COVID-era NHS contracts awarded without competition. NHS England and Palantir say the platform links data held in disparate systems, helping hospitals use beds and operating theatres more efficiently and tackle the care backlog. Earlier this month, Palantir hired former Labour Party deputy Tom Watson to help guide its work with the UK government. The campaign groups protesting in Liverpool today say September 30 is the contractual deadline for Palantir to provide NHS England with an exit plan should the government choose not to continue the arrangement. The contract's initial term ends early next year, after which the government can extend it for two years, followed by two further one-year extensions. Questions are also being raised about the evidence used to support claims for the FDP's performance. Organizations opposing the rollout include the British Medical Association (BMA), public sector union UNISON, and the United Tech and Allied Workers Union. The BMA has urged members to consider avoiding the platform for purposes unrelated to direct care, citing risks to patient trust and data security. The Chief Data and Analytics Officers Network, which represents senior NHS data staff, has also urged the government to "consider the break clause." In a letter, it said the FDP "has been unable to demonstrate the level of evidence, confidence and realised value that should be expected following sustained investment and extensive policy support." Dr Rhiannon Mihranian Osborne, a No Palantir in the NHS campaigner at MedAct, said: "Patients and NHS staff are united in their opposition to this contract, and the last three years have seen unprecedented levels of professional and patient campaigning. Over 85,000 patients have made formal complaints to their hospitals. The government has an urgent opportunity to choose patients and staff over big tech, it must take it." Just Treatment spokesperson Hope Worsdale said: "Patients and health workers across England want Palantir out of our NHS. A company with a track record in surveillance, military technology and complicity in human rights abuses shouldn't be anywhere near our personal health data." Palantir says its software is helping UK public bodies carry out more NHS operations, keep Royal Navy ships at sea for longer and tackle domestic violence. It maintains that the data processed through the FDP belongs to the NHS and that disclosing it to anyone else would breach its contract. (R)