- NHS data chief says Palantir delivers ‘outstanding results’
- Palantir contractors gained access to data of 1.5 million NHS workers
- NHS workers concerned over ethical concerns in Palantir’s NHS contract
UK NHS chief data officer Ming Tang claimed Palantir was achieving “outstanding results” despite the company’s poor reputation.
Palantir developed the Federated Data Platform (FDP) as part of its £330m contract with the NHS to help the government ‘reinvent the NHS’ through more effective waiting list management, appointment allocation, diagnostics and personalization of treatments.
But NHS staff have raised concerns about the protection of personal data, the misuse of the FDP’s centralized database and the implications of Palantir’s growing involvement in the UK public sector.
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Is Palantir improving NHS services?
As part of its involvement with the NHS, Palantir said the FDP had “helped deliver 110,000 additional operations, a 15.3% reduction in discharge times and a 6.8% increase” in cancer diagnoses within 28 days of referral.
Tang further attested to the “outstanding results” achieved by Palantir, stating that the NHS is seeking to achieve “maximum product penetration” of FDP tools and software across a core group of hospitals over the next 12 months.
An internal memo shared by Tang, seen by the Financial Timesalso addressed Palantir’s reputation, saying: “As media and campaign groups continue to raise questions about our technology provider, the program focuses on the evidence: the FDP delivers on its promises. Tang added that his team must “maintain our focus” in the face of growing concerns about Palantir’s involvement in the NHS.
Palantir’s tarnished reputation stems from the use of its ImmigrationOS and Enhanced Leads Identification & Targeting for Enforcement (ELITE) software by U.S. ICE agents to deport illegally arriving immigrants to the United States. Many American citizens have also been arrested in several cities across the United States.
Concerns have also been raised about Palantir’s use of medical data to track and target suspected illegal migrants in real time. In the UK, the Reform Party has promised to create a British version of the ICE if the party comes to power in the next election, meaning Palantir’s involvement in the UK public sector could contribute to the Reform Party’s plans for mass deportations.
Why are NHS staff concerned about access to Palantir?
Further concerns have been raised by NHS staff over Palantir’s involvement in the NHS after insiders revealed The guardian that at least six Palantir contractors had been given NHS.net email accounts, which also gave them access to a database of up to 1.5 million NHS workers. The database contains information about staff, including their role, location, workplace, email address and mobile number.
It is not unusual for contractors to have access to such databases, and access to staff data is likely necessary for the effective deployment of the FDP – but staff have taken issue with Palantir having access to personal information without their consent, with some refusing to use the FDP altogether.
Other staff revealed that Palantir staff attended virtual Microsoft Teams meetings using NHS email accounts without revealing who they worked for.
A Palantir spokesperson said: “Our role is to provide software. How this software is used is entirely within the control of the NHS, with data only processed in accordance with their strict instructions.” The NHS email policy states that access may be granted “to independent sector organizations that provide health and social care services nationally”.
An NHS spokesperson said: “All suppliers, including Palantir, and their staff operate solely under the instructions of the NHS, with all access to data remaining under the control of the NHS and governed by strict contractual confidentiality obligations. »
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