Second Select Committee calls for government to end Palantir FDP contract

The Health and Social Care Select Committee has urged the government to scrap Palantir's £330 million Federated Data Platform (FDP) contract with the NHS, marking the second parliamentary committee to do so. The cross-party group of MPs recommended finding a replacement for the FDP, citing serious public and professional mistrust, contested benefits, and the availability of viable alternatives.

The announcement follows a similar call from the Science and Technology Committee to exercise a February 2027 break clause in the contract. If this wasn't enough, more than 100 digital, data, and tech employees working in the NHS have publicly opposed the deal, warning in an open letter to Health Secretary James Murray that inadequate patient privacy protections could compromise data completeness by eroding public trust. Critics also highlighted ethical concerns regarding Palantir's military contracts. Layla Moran, chair of the health committee, concluded that arguments for retaining the platform have unravelled, making it time to prepare for an alternative system.

Meanwhile, a report in the Financial Times (£) reveals four NHS trusts found significant errors in underlying hospital data on discharge delays.

The report suggests the trusts in question "had reported a sudden drop in discharge delays from hundreds or thousands to zero before increasing again sharply — a scenario that would be highly improbable."

£ - The Financial Times article requires a subscription. 

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