Widespread reluctance among trusts
Freedom of information responses from health bodies across England show a significant number of NHS organisations have either turned down or stopped using the federated data platform (FDP) operated by the US technology company Palantir. The responses suggest many trusts consider existing systems to offer comparable or superior functionality.
Mixed assessments of performance
Some trusts told officials the FDP had made aspects of patient management easier, with particular benefits cited for handling waiting lists and improving the scheduling of surgeries. However, these positive assessments were not universal, and several organisations said trials had ended with a return to previous systems.
Examples of rejection and criticism
Responses highlighted a range of local decisions from Gateshead to Truro. A trust in Suffolk said other systems 'supercede' the FDP's functionality, while Greater Manchester's integrated care board described the Palantir platform as 'duplicative' and 'retrograde'. Several bodies explicitly declined to adopt the technology after evaluation or pilot use.
Cost and context
The platform under discussion is tied to a contract valued at about £330m and is run by a company that has drawn controversy in the past. The staggered pattern of acceptance and refusal among NHS organisations underscores an uneven reception of the technology and a preference in many areas to rely on established data tools.
Decisions recorded in the FOI responses reflect local assessments of technical fit, operational benefit and potential duplication with existing systems, rather than a uniform national position on the platform. NHS bodies responsible for the care of millions of patients across England have therefore taken divergent approaches to whether Palantir's FDP is the right tool for their needs.