Committee publication · Correspondence · 9 July 2026

Correspondence to Minister Gill- Palantir

Summary

The Health and Social Care Committee writes to Minister Gill supporting the Science and Technology Committee's recommendation that the government exercise a February 2027 break clause in its Palantir Federated Data Platform contract. The committee cites public and professional mistrust of the platform, contested evidence of benefits, and the existence of superior alternative tools as grounds for ending the arrangement and developing replacements.

Key findings

Serious public and medical profession mistrust of Palantir's Federated Data Platform risks deterring NHS data sharing and undermining digital transformation benefits.
Reported FDP benefits lack rigorous causation analysis; NHS England now concedes it cannot demonstrate cause-and-effect improvements attributable to the platform.
Chief Data and Analytical Officers Network states other systems already exceed FDP capability; minister confirmed government would not mandate FDP where better tools exist.
Committee seeks clarification on timeline for securing successor contract by March if government exits Palantir agreement and requests detailed disclosure of contract review assessments.
Committee notes intellectual property ownership arrangements under the Palantir contract require detailed explanation, particularly regarding implications of non-renewal.

Tone

Critical

Topics

health-data-governancedigital-transformationnhs-technologygovernment-procurementdata-privacy

Key actors

Preet Kaur Gill MP, Layla Moran, Health and Social Care Committee, Science and Technology Committee, NHS England, Palantir, Chief Data and Analytical Officers Network, Ms Jones

Notable line

“There is serious mistrust of the Palantir created Federated Data Platform amongst both the general public and the medical profession .”

Key Quotes

“There is serious mistrust of the Palantir created Federated Data Platform amongst both the general public and the medical profession .”
— Health and Social Care Committee · setting out reasons for supporting the break clause recommendation

“The evidence of the benefits of the current Federated Data Platform is contested .”
— Health and Social Care Committee · disputing claimed platform benefits

“… could not "draw conclusions about cause and effect as other variables have not been controlled for.”
— NHS England · acknowledging inability to prove FDP improvement attribution

“… already have similar tools in use that presently exceed the capability and application of what the FDP is currently trying to develop or roll out at a system level”
— Chief Data and Analytical Officers Network · evidence of superior alternative tools

View original document →

Source · parliament.uk record ↗