NHS Staff Express Alarm Over Palantir Engineers' Access to Internal Systems
Health service employees have raised significant concerns after engineers from the controversial technology company Palantir were provided with NHS email accounts, granting them potential access to a directory containing contact details for up to 1.5 million staff members. Sources indicate that Palantir personnel working on the Federated Data Platform (FDP) for NHS England have also been allowed into NHS SharePoint filesharing systems and internal Microsoft Teams groups, intensifying worries about privacy and security.
Background of the Federated Data Platform Contract
Palantir secured a substantial £300 million contract in 2023 to deliver the FDP, which NHS England promotes as a tool to connect patient records across disparate systems. This initiative aims to enhance efficiency by managing waiting lists, allocating appointments, accelerating diagnoses, and personalising treatments more effectively. It forms part of the government's broader strategy to digitally transform the NHS, shifting from analogue to digital operations to reinvent healthcare delivery.
Ethical Concerns and Staff Reactions
While it is standard practice for private contractors to use NHS systems, Palantir's association with AI-powered surveillance and military technology has sparked ethical debates. Staff, patients, and human rights campaigners question the implications of embedding a company known for spy-tech into the UK public sector. Rory Gibson, a resident doctor, voiced strong opposition, stating, "I – as a doctor – absolutely don't want my personal email and number to be accessible to someone who works for Palantir on the NHS, and might next month be working on systems for drone strikes. NHS staff have not consented to sharing their email addresses with Palantir staff."
Evidence reviewed by The Guardian confirms that at least six Palantir engineers involved in the FDP rollout have been assigned NHS.net accounts. These accounts, if unrestricted, provide access to staff details such as roles, locations, workplaces, and mobile numbers via the NHSmail portal, and can even be used to claim "Blue Light" discounts from retailers.
Palantir's Defence and Broader Implications
A Palantir spokesperson defended the practice, noting, "This is normal practice for government suppliers. Indeed the government's own guidance states that using government systems is more secure than suppliers using their own systems." The company highlighted its software's benefits, claiming it has contributed to 110,000 additional operations, a 15.3% reduction in discharge delays, and a 6.8% increase in cancer diagnoses within 28 days of referral. They emphasised that data usage remains under strict NHS control.
However, David Rowland, director of the Centre for Health and the Public Interest, argued, "The strong reaction of NHS staff to the involvement of Palantir in the health service shows that there are deep ethical concerns that its values and way of making money run counter to the founding values of the NHS." He called for a comprehensive review of private companies receiving NHS contracts, citing Palantir as an example of firms with problematic backgrounds in public service delivery.
Additional Controversies and Historical Context
Some NHS staff were reportedly angered upon discovering they had participated in Microsoft Teams meetings with Palantir employees using NHS email accounts without prior disclosure of their affiliations. The access was granted under the NHSmail policy, which permits independent sector organisations providing national health and social care services to use the system.
Palantir's software is already utilised by UK police forces and the Ministry of Defence, leading critics to fear potential state abuses of power through interoperable systems. Concerns include the possibility of a British version of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, as proposed by the Reform UK party. The company's founders, such as Peter Thiel, who has criticised the NHS, and Alex Karp, who has boasted about spy technology, add to the controversy, as does its UK leadership under Louis Mosley, grandson of fascist leader Oswald Mosley.
An NHS spokesperson reassured, "All suppliers, including Palantir, and their staff operate only under NHS instruction, with all data access remaining under NHS control and governed by strict contractual confidentiality obligations." Despite this, the situation underscores ongoing tensions between technological advancement and ethical safeguards in public healthcare.
