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NHS Federated Data Platform — [Dame Siobhain McDonagh in the Chair]
16 April 2026
Lead MP
Martin Wrigley
Newton Abbot
Lib Dem
Responding Minister
Zubir Ahmed
Tags
NHSEconomyStandards & EthicsLocal Government
Word Count: 12780
Other Contributors: 16
At a Glance
Martin Wrigley raised concerns about nhs federated data platform — [dame siobhain mcdonagh in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
I ask the Minister to review the contract and reject ext [3D [K extending it, as it is not in the national interest. I also request that th [2D [K the Government consider using the contract renewal point to work towards a [K staged exit with retendering for British companies to build a replacement f [1D [K for Palantir.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
I am concerned about the NHS Federated Data Platform [8D [K Platform contract with Palantir, which has cost over £330 million but has d [1D [K delivered no tangible benefits. The platform is not owned by the NHS and la [2D [K lacks transparency, leading to technical lock-in and a single point of fail [4D [K failure. Additionally, there are issues with trust in Palantir due to its c [1D [K controversial history and lack of healthcare experience before the pandemic [8D [K pandemic.
Andrew George
Lib Dem
St Ives
He briefly asked for further clarification or inform [6D [K information from Danny Chambers, but no specific content of his interventio [11D [K intervention is provided in the transcript.
Mitcham and Morden
I agree entirely with the hon. Member, particularly [K regarding the need to clarify the secret meeting between Boris Johnson, Dom [3D [K Dominic Cummings, and Peter Thiel that initiated this project.
Danny Chambers
Lib Dem
Winchester
He highlighted concerns over trusting NHS data to a [K US corporation with ties to Donald Trump, emphasizing ethical standards exp [3D [K expected from doctors and nurses. He argued that the contract should be scr [3D [K scrutinized more thoroughly due to its heavy redaction.
Gideon Amos
Lib Dem
Taunton and Wellington
He agrees that accountability is key regarding contr [5D [K contracts, echoing concerns about assurances turning into different future [K relationships or companies.
Ian Byrne
Lab
Liverpool West Derby
Ian Byrne reiterates his concerns about Palantir's c [1D [K contract with the NHS, noting ethical issues and human rights abuses linked [6D [K linked to the company. He mentions constituent fears and calls for the Gove [4D [K Government to terminate the contract in 2027 and develop an ethically groun [5D [K grounded approach to data handling.
Iqbal Mohamed
Ind
Dewsbury and Batley
Palantir's CEO stated pride in disrupting systems, e [1D [K even those he cannot talk about. Palantir has contracts with US Immigration [11D [K Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Israeli Ministry of Defence, wh [2D [K which raise ethical concerns. NHS staff have been warned against criticisin [10D [K criticising Palantir or working on alternative systems. He intervened to discuss health inequality for ethni [5D [K ethnic minorities in the NHS, questioning whether systems supplied by Palan [5D [K Palantir are unethical and racist based on their termination by New Orleans [7D [K Orleans and Los Angeles police departments due to racial bias. Requested an intervention from the Minister.
Jeremy Corbyn
Ind
Islington North
He is concerned about the £330 million contract with [4D [K with Palantir and calls for a publicly owned, accountable system in the NHS [3D [K NHS. He argues that Palantir's involvement poses risks to patient data priv [4D [K privacy and ethical concerns due to its links to controversial projects.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
The DUP Member raised concerns about trust, local co [2D [K control and accountability, security compromise, and patient empowerment in [2D [K in the context of the federated data platform. He emphasised that each hosp [4D [K hospital trust must remain the controller of its own data and called for ro [2D [K robust privacy-enhancing technology to protect personal identities.
Luke Taylor
Lib Dem
Sutton and Cheam
The Liberal Democrat MP criticised the Government's [K engagement with Palantir, describing it as 'shameful' due to the company's [K association with Peter Thiel. He warned against the dangers of Palantir's o [1D [K opaque software leading to dependency on a foreign entity and urged for an [K investigation into unethical lobbying by Palantir within NHS. Asked for an intervention on a point raised previous [8D [K previously.
Navendu Mishra
Lab
Stockport
The Labour Member discussed ethical implications of [K using Palantir technology, mentioning concerns raised by constituents about [5D [K about human rights abuses linked with the company. He advocated for investi [7D [K investing in domestic technological capabilities and suggested retendering [K the federated data platform to address security issues.
Neil Shastri-Hurst
Conservative [13D [K (Conservative
Solihull West and Shirley
The NHS federated data platform is necessary to impr [4D [K improve care for patients, but concerns exist over staff engagement, public [6D [K public trust, reliance on Palantir, resilience to cyber-attacks, and govern [6D [K governance after the abolition of NHS England. The speaker asked how the Go [2D [K Government will ensure genuine competition in procurement, maintain system [K resilience, and clarify accountability for the FDP.
Olly Glover
Lib Dem
Didcot and Wantage
He expressed concerns about the process and governan [8D [K governance around appointing Palantir to UK NHS contracts, highlighting its [3D [K its controversial background and ethical issues. He cited a YouGov poll ind [3D [K indicating that nearly half of adults would opt out of sharing health data [K with the NHS if Palantir was involved, due to privacy and democratic accoun [6D [K accountability concerns.
Rachael Maskell
Lab Co-op
York Central
The Labour MP highlighted the risks of Palantir's ac [2D [K access to sensitive data, citing examples from Switzerland and the United S [1D [K States where Palantir has been used for targeting vulnerable individuals. S [1D [K She urged the Government to terminate the contract with Palantir in the int [3D [K interest of public health and accountability. Highlighted the issue of patient trust, noting that [K over 50% of the public do not have confidence in sharing vital health infor [5D [K information with clinicians. Asked if this point would be included in the c [1D [K consultation.
Samantha Niblett
Lab
South Derbyshire
The FDP could help transform the NHS but Palantir's [K character and political views raise serious concerns. The company's co-foun [7D [K co-founder, Peter Thiel, is openly hostile to the NHS, which makes it quest [5D [K questionable whether they should hold sensitive health data. Initial contra [6D [K contract details were heavily redacted.
Seamus Logan
Scottish [K National Party
Aberdeenshire North and Moray East
He criticises the £330 million deal with Palantir, h [1D [K highlighting issues of trust in the NHS due to Palantir's ties with controv [7D [K controversial agencies. He urges the Government to use a break clause in 20 [2D [K 2027 and invest in UK tech solutions. Asked the Minister to address questions about a revi [4D [K review of the break clause next year.
Shockat Adam
Ind
Leicester South
As a practising optometrist, Shockat Adam supports b [1D [K better health data sharing but raises concerns about Palantir's involvement [11D [K involvement with the NHS. He highlights ethical issues related to Palantir' [9D [K Palantir's co-founders' anti-democratic views and their company's contracts [9D [K contracts in conflict zones, arguing that the hands holding such powerful t [1D [K tools must be carefully chosen.
Government Response
Zubir Ahmed
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, [K Dame Siobhain. I thank the hon. Member for Newton Abbot for securing this d [1D [K debate and welcoming the hon. Member for Solihull West and Shirley to his p [1D [K place on the Front Bench. The NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP) is an NHS c [1D [K construct consisting of multiple contracts awarded to consortia including P [1D [K Palantir, Accenture, PwC, Carnall Farrar, and others. It aims to improve pa [2D [K patient outcomes and clinical efficiency through better use of data. Indepe [6D [K Independent estimates suggest the FDP could generate savings worth up to £2 [2D [K £2.4 billion, with a commissioned study by Imperial College further examini [7D [K examining its economic impact. The minister notes that the FDP is not synon [5D [K synonymous with single patient records or the NHS app but rather part of an [2D [K an infrastructure to improve service delivery. He highlights successful imp [3D [K implementations in North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, where OP [2D [K OPTICA has reduced long stays by a third despite a 7% increase in admission [9D [K admissions, and at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, [6D [K Trust, where it has streamlined surgery lists. Since the FDP's go-live date [4D [K date in March 2024, more than 100,000 additional patients have been support [7D [K supported to undergo procedures, nearly 94,000 people have been helped on t [1D [K their cancer journey with a 7% reduction in diagnosis time, and there has b [1D [K been a 14% decrease in delays for discharging patients staying longer than [K seven days. The minister assures that the contract includes break clauses f [1D [K for value-for-money evaluations and vendor lock-in measures allow migration [9D [K migration to other providers if necessary. Data security is paramount; a se [2D [K separate company IQVIA provides privacy-enhancing technology, ensuring data [4D [K data controllership remains with NHS organisations. He emphasizes the FDP's [5D [K FDP's importance for delivering better patient care through efficient use o [1D [K of data while acknowledging concerns about digital sovereignty and public c [1D [K confidence.
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Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.