Investigation Challenges Palantir’s £330 Million NHS Deal as Usage Data Undercuts Rollout Claims
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 15
Investigation Challenges Palantir’s £330 Million NHS Deal as Usage Data Undercuts Rollout Claims
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 15
Summary
Internal NHS usage data obtained under FOI shows dozens of trusts counted as live on Palantir’s federated data platform did not log into a single FDP app in the past year.
Cancer 360 — promoted as a tool to cut treatment delays — was used by just six of about 200 trusts in the nine months after launch, while clinicians and analysts said the software was slower and less useful than existing systems.
Costs appear to run beyond the £330 million headline contract: some trusts received up to £3 million to drive adoption, and KPMG got an £8.5 million contract to help push the platform across the NHS.
The investigation also flagged vendor lock-in risks from Palantir’s proprietary Foundry software and traced the company’s UK rise to lobbying by Global Counsel, which reportedly received more than £30,000 a month.
The findings land as the UK Statistics Authority examines NHS England’s claims about the platform and two select committees urge the government to consider using a break clause when the contract comes up for renewal next year.
With UK health data on a US firm's platform, is the NHS truly secure or just locked into a billion-pound problem?
A £1bn NHS platform is failing doctors. Was this a tech misstep or a triumph of opaque lobbying?
NHS Federated Data Platform at a Crossroads: Palantir Contract Faces Scrutiny Over Privacy, Performance, and Vendor Lock-in (May–July 2026)
Overview
Between May and July 2026, the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP) faced both praise and controversy. While NHS England released quarterly updates showing increased uptake and a data chief claimed Palantir was delivering outstanding results, these claims were quickly challenged. The UK statistics watchdog began investigating the accuracy of the reported benefits, highlighting doubts about the platform’s effectiveness. At the same time, NHS analysts reported slow support from Palantir, with some waiting a week for technical fixes. These issues, combined with ethical concerns from NHS staff, fueled growing scrutiny and debate over the FDP’s performance and future.