UK MPs urge government to drop Palantir from NHS before 2027 contract renewal

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LONDON — The government shouldn’t extend U.S. tech firm Palantir’s contract with the NHS when it goes up for renewal in February 2027, the Health and Social Care committee said in a letter to health minister Preet Gill published Thursday.

“We are seriously concerned that the lack of trust in how NHS data in used, managed and shared will act as a deterrent from people sharing their medical data and limit the ability of the NHS to release the benefits of the digital transformation that this Government is seeking to deliver,” committee chair Layla Moran wrote.

She added that evidence of the tech’s benefits is increasingly contested, citing NHS England’s admission last month that it isn’t possible to conclusively attribute improvements to the system.

The Science, Innovation and Technology committee last month also called on the government to ditch the company from the public sector amid concerns about vendor lock-in.

A Palantir spokesperson said: “Palantir software is helping to deliver better patient care – including 110,000 additional operations to date, a 15% reduction in discharge delays and a 6.8% increase in patients finding out whether they need cancer treatment within 28 days.

“The software is also helping to deliver a Government programme that is one of only 30 out of 213 that has a green delivery rating, forecast to deliver a £5 return for every £1 spent.

“But that is what it is — software. How that software is used is controlled by the NHS Trusts who use it, with data — legally and contractually — only able to be processed strictly in accordance with their instructions.”