MPs warn that NHS England’s decision to grant Palantir access to identifiable patient data for the federated data platform is dangerous and could erode public trust in data privacy.

The broader context shows MPs urging a halt to Palantir projects and polling indicating strong public concern and distrust over Palantir’s access to NHS data.

Questions have been raised that Palantir and other contractors could access identifiable patient data before pseudonymisation, undermining public confidence according to internal briefings reported.

Palantir secured a 330 million contract to help build the federated data platform and enable AI-driven integration of health datasets, amid ongoing scrutiny over data security and privacy.

NHS England says external staff must obtain clearance at director level and that safeguards are in place to prevent data from leaving the NHS.

There is broad political and public scrutiny of Palantir’s expanding role in the UK public sector, including potential ties to the Metropolitan Police and rising distrust in Palantir’s data handling.

Patients’ groups, including the Patients Association, call for transparency, clear access boundaries, and patient consultation on any data-access changes.

NHS England maintains external contractors require government security clearance and strict access controls; Palantir argues it is a data processor, not a data controller, with data use strictly limited by NHS instructions.