Campaigners have launched legal action to halt a data-sharing deal between the NHS and Palantir.
For those who came in late, Palantir scored a £330 million contract with the NHS to create and operate a Federated Data Platform (FDP) to streamline information sharing among health service trusts and integrated care systems.
The FDP aims to improve service efficiency and address the 7.8 million patient backlog of care hospitals face, enabling them to discharge patients more efficiently.
However, the contract award is a little bit risky as it is giving a ton of UK data to a company which is rather too friendly with the US military.
While Palantir won’t own the data and requires NHS permission for access, campaign groups, including legal organisation Foxglove, are sceptical of the company’s track record.
Four organisations have launched legal action against NHS England over the creation of the FDP, alleging that there is no legal foundation for its establishment.
The lawsuit, spearheaded by Foxglove, along with the Doctors’ Association UK, National Pensioners’ Convention, and Just Treatment, asserts that the government overlooked the legal aspects of implementing such a transformative platform.
Campaign groups argue that only a few trusts running a pilot version of the software have reported benefits, raising concerns about the efficiency and value of the Palantir deal for taxpayers.
Rosa Curling, Foxglove’s director, emphasised the need for parliamentary approval and proper rules to ensure the lawful handling of NHS data.
“You can’t just massively expand access to confidential patient data without making sure you also follow the law,” Curling told The Guardian.
