Palantir’s NHS England contract ‘opens door to government abuse of power’, health bosses told

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Chris Osuh Community affairs correspondentMarch 12, 2026 at 08:00 AM

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A £330 million NHS England contract awarded to Palantir Technologies in 2023 to deliver the Federated Data Platform (FDP) is facing scrutiny. A briefing by the health justice charity Medact, supported by various groups, warns that Palantir's software could enable data-driven abuses of power, potentially mirroring US immigration raids. The concern stems from the software's interoperability and potential for cross-departmental data sharing, especially if a future government alters data-sharing laws. Reform UK has announced plans to use data-sharing across government departments, including the NHS, for immigration enforcement. While Palantir denies any intention or ability to misuse data, critics urge NHS trusts and integrated care boards to reject the FDP and for NHS England to terminate the contract due to ethical and privacy concerns.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Ministry of Defence 30% Nigel Farage 40% Alex Karp 50% Peter Thiel 50% Wes Streeting 50% Medact ×360% United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ×360% UK ×770% Reform UK ×570% NHS England ×380% Palantir Technologies ×790%

Keywords

palantir 100% nhs england contract 90% data sharing 80% federated data platform 70% government abuse of power 70% reform uk 60% data analysis 60% ice 50% immigration raids 50% data privacy 40%