In a major development for healthcare data analytics, US-based Palantir has clinched a significant contract valued at $415.83 million with The National Health Service (NHS) – which encompasses the publicly funded healthcare systems within the United Kingdom. The agreement aims to usher in a transformative patient data platform known as the Federated Data Platform (FDP). This software, slated for rollout next year, is designed to streamline access to crucial information for healthcare staff, fostering improved and more timely patient care through the integration of existing data sets.
During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Palantir—run by CEO Alex Karp and co-founded by tech investor Peter Thiel—emerged as a crucial data analytics provider for the NHS. The Federated Data Platform, set to be implemented over a seven-year period, represents a collaboration with Accenture, PwC, NECS, and Carnall Farrar.
Emphasizing the stringent privacy measures in place, the NHS clarified that no participating company could access health and care data without explicit permission from the NHS. While Palantir is renowned for its associations with the security, defense, and intelligence sectors, concerns have been raised about the appropriateness of relying on a single private entity for critical healthcare functions.
Victoria Atkins, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom, asserted that the FDP would span the NHS trusts and integrated care systems, enabling the connection of disparate data sets—ranging from health records to waiting lists—in a secure environment. The platform is geared towards supporting key NHS priorities such as the recovery of elective care and the enhancement of discharge processes to expedite patient treatment and home transitions.
Despite assurances that data will not leave the UK and contractual prohibitions on using patient data for commercial gain, human rights group Amnesty International expressed concerns about potential data protection implications. The group called for Palantir to provide unequivocal assurances that health data would not be monetized.
Amidst the ongoing debate, former minister David Davis voiced skepticism about the NHS fully grasping the sensitivity and potential dangers associated with public health data. Davis contended that anonymizing medical data, given its richness, poses significant challenges.
Palantir's CEO, Alex Karp, responded to the award by emphasizing the company's two decades of experience in developing software that integrates complex and sensitive data while prioritizing security, privacy, and customer control. He also expressed humility at being chosen to provide software that aims to address waiting lists, improve patient care, and reduce health inequality across England.
Vin Diwakar, the U.K.’s medical director for secondary care and national transformation, underscored the crucial role of better data utilization in addressing waiting times, enhancing patient care, and ensuring the sustainability of the health service for the future. The Palantir-NHS collaboration signals a significant stride in leveraging advanced analytics for the benefit of patient outcomes and healthcare efficiency.
