Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs have called for the government to scrap its £330 million NHS contract with US spy-tech company Palantir, describing it as “dreadful” and “shameful” during a Westminster Hall debate on Thursday. The company, founded by Trump-supporting billionaire Peter Thiel, also works with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Israeli military.
Labour MP Samantha Niblett questioned whether Palantir could be “trusted as a custodian of the intimate health records of tens of millions of British citizens”. Liberal Democrat MP Luke Taylor said: “Palantir and Peter Thiel must have their hands ripped off of our NHS before it is too late.” The debate was led by Liberal Democrat MP Martin Wrigley, who cited trust as the main issue.
In response, junior health minister Dr Zubir Ahmed confirmed the government would consider whether to continue the deal when a break clause is due in spring 2027, though £210 million of the £330 million has already been spent. He said the Federated Data Platform (FDP) was exceeding performance targets, adding: “We are no fan of [Palantir’s] politics. However, the FDP and the principles that underpin it are critical to the future of the NHS.”
Internal NHS documents obtained by the Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act reveal concerns over “negative sentiment” about the system. Emails from January discussed proactive communications, including a potential podcast series hosted by a pro-FDP official. Meanwhile, Palantir has been mounting a PR pushback advised by Boris Johnson’s former strategist Isaac Levido.
Palantir claims its software has helped deliver 110,000 additional operations and reduce discharge delays. However, a briefing note to Health Secretary Wes Streeting warned that Palantir’s public profile was “likely to make it harder to go further with the FDP”. Training for staff to use the system, expected to start in February, has yet to begin.
