NHS England agrees to modify FDP performance metrics

NHS England (NHSE) plans to modify how it evaluates the performance of the Federated Data Platform (FDP), supplied by controversial US technology company Palantir, following internal staff concerns about a flawed baseline analysis. Emails obtained via a Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) request reveal that NHSE will adjust how it calculates headline statistics in its upcoming quarterly update.

The changes affect widely cited claims that hospitals using the FDP delivered 110,000 additional operations and achieved a 15% reduction in discharge delays. Internal correspondence showed an official warning that comparing performance against the six months prior to adoption created an invalid baseline due to seasonal patterns.

Although an update published in June 2026 did not include the revised methodology, NHSE confirmed that the adjusted baseline method will be included in the next release, expected in September. The decision comes as ministers face growing pressure to trigger a 2027 break clause in the £330 million Palantir contract awarded to US technology firm Palantir.

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