Palantir’s NHS data platform reportedly unused by 29 trusts that claim benefits
More than two dozen NHS trusts that the health system lists as “realising benefits” from Palantir’s £330 million federated data platform say the system is not live or they are not using any of its applications. The Guardian obtained over 100 freedom‑of‑information requests showing that 29 of the 137 trusts recorded as “live” either have not gone live, are focused on other priorities, or have no…
Key points
- 29 NHS trusts say Palantir’s federated data platform is not live or not used, despite NHS listing them as benefiting.
- NHS England claims the platform enabled 117,539 extra operations, 14.3% fewer discharge delays, and 5.6% faster cancer diagnosis, but causality is unproven.
- Critics, including health secretary Yvette Cooper and MPs, call for ending the £330 million contract and activating a 2027 break clause.
NHS England maintains the platform has helped deliver 117,539 additional operations in a year, a 14.3 % reduction in discharge delays for long‑stay patients and a 5.6 % improvement in the speed of cancer diagnosis, but the Office for Statistics Regulation has said it cannot verify cause‑and‑effect. Health secretary Yvette Cooper and several MPs are urging the government to invoke a 2027 break clause and open a new competition for a UK‑based supplier. Palantir’s UK and Europe chief executive Louis Mosley warned that ending the contract would “put politics above patients”, while founder Peter Thiel has defended the firm’s broader work.
The controversy highlights the difficulty of measuring AI‑driven benefits in public services and raises questions about transparency, public spending and the future of large‑scale AI contracts in the NHS.
Palantir AI tech unused or little used by 29 NHS trusts said to have benefited from it
The Guardian AI · 2 November 2026
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This text was published by The Guardian AI and written by Robert Booth UK technology editor. It is reproduced here with attribution so you can read it in full; the rights remain with the publisher. Read it at the source ↗
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