29 NHS Trusts Dispute Palantir Benefit Claims on £330 Million AI Platform
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Nov 2
29 NHS Trusts Dispute Palantir Benefit Claims on £330 Million AI Platform
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Nov 2
Summary
FOI responses from 29 NHS trusts said Palantir’s federated data platform was not live, not operationally used or not being rolled out, despite NHS England listing them as “realising benefits.”
The mismatch centers on NHS England’s broader definition of use: it says nearly 140 trusts have reported benefits, including some using only back-office data submission or cost-calculation functions rather than patient-care apps.
The disclosure adds pressure on Palantir’s 2024 NHS contract, with Commons committee chair Chi Onwurah urging ministers to trigger a 2027 break clause and reopen bidding to a UK-based supplier.
The Office for Statistics Regulation said it will take the new claims forward under its casework function, after earlier scrutiny of NHS England’s assertion that FDP-linked trusts delivered 117,539 extra operations without proven causation.
Palantir rejects calls to scrap the deal, saying its software improved operations, discharge delays and cancer-target performance, even as critics question whether the project’s reported benefits match reality.