By Andy Ford, Chair Unite NW Health Committee
The NHS signed on with US firm Palantir to provide its ‘Federated Data Platform’ in November 2023 at a cost of £330 million. Although until recently Palantir operated at a loss, it is rapidly becoming profitable, thanks to contracts from the US government, including ICE, and the US military.
Its software was been a key component of Israeli surveillance and target selection in Gaza, where at least 70,000 civilians have been killed, and hundreds of doctors, nurses and paramedics murdered by precision-guided munitions. Palantir’s CEO, Alex Karp, says he is “extremely proud” of Palantir’s involvement in “crucial operations in Israel”.
Palantir is not making its way simply due to good business practices or the quality of its software. Palantir’s founder, Peter Thiel, has publicly stated that they are “buying their way in” to the NHS, and in 2025 the Epstein/Mandelson scandal revealed hidden links between Streeting and big tech, probably Palantir, with Mandelson messaging Streeting that if he visited the US there would be “lots of tech companies and people to talk to”.
Thiel is a vocal supporter of Donald Trump. In short, the firm’s strategy is based less on competing for business than on political connections and insider influence.
The Federated Data Platform will cross-link hospitals across the country and many community services as well, giving Palantir access to the health data of the UK population. Apart from the privacy issue, the NHS data is one of the most commercially valuable data repositories in the world.
Where are the safeguards on Palantir’s access to, and use of, this data? Our data. Especially as Palantir’s main business seems to be spying on people. The firm should not be allowed anywhere near NHS data.
Andy Ford is standing for the Unite NEC in the Health section. His election statement and other articles by him can be found on his website, here. This is taken, with his permission, from Andy’s website.
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