NHS England has expanded access to sensitive patient data for external contractors working on its controversial Palantir-backed data platform, sparking concerns over privacy and the growing influence of American Big Tech within the UK's health service.
Expanded Admin Roles for External Staff
According to internal briefing documents obtained by the Financial Times, NHS officials approved new special 'admin' roles giving some non-NHS staff wide access to patient information within a key part of the Federated Data Platform (FDP). The FDP, a £330 million project led by US data titan Palantir, was designed to connect fragmented legacy NHS systems and create one unified data platform across its services.
Under the new rules, external staff from companies including Palantir could receive even more access permissions inside the National Data Integration Tenant (NDIT). The NDIT is a secure system where patient information is stored before being pseudonymised and relocated across NHS systems.
Risk of Loss of Public Confidence
The internal note acknowledged that the move carries a 'risk of loss of public confidence' around privacy and data protection. It also recognised that there was already 'considerable public interest and concern' over how much access Silicon Valley-based firm's staff could have to NHS data. The move marks a shift away from the NHS's existing system, where individual patients had to apply for access to specific datasets.
Officials have claimed the expanded permissions will only apply to a small number of external workers with government security clearance. However, the move will ignite fears that one of the country's most politically controversial firms is becoming too embedded in public infrastructure.
Palantir-NHS Links Spark Fresh Concerns
Palantir's growing involvement within the NHS is becoming an increasingly divisive technology debate. Supporters see the FDP as a key driver of efficiency across the health service by linking waiting lists and staffing data into one platform. The public sector has claimed that the wider programme could generate as much as £777 million in benefits for the NHS.
But others have warned the deal risks creating long-term dependency on one American software provider whose leadership has repeatedly courted controversy. Lib Dem MP Martin Wrigley called the latest disclosures a 'cavalier attitude' to data governance, warning the project was lacking 'security by design'.
Political and Corporate Backlash
Peter Thiel, the company's co-founder, has previously argued the NHS should be privatised, while chief executive Alex Karp recently received backlash after publishing a political manifesto defending AI-enabled military power. Meanwhile, health secretary Wes Streeting recently admitted he was 'not a fan' of some of the firm's key leadership figures, though he continued to defend the partnership.
Last month, Palantir UK boss Louis Mosley warned that cancelling or scaling back the NHS partnership could put wider investment at risk. He told Times Radio: 'We announced at the end of last year that we'd be investing £1.5bn in the UK over the next five years.' 'That would be one of the risks, yes,' he added, when asked whether ending the NHS contract could damage investment and talent flows into Britain.
The company currently employs around 950 people in the UK, giving Britain an unusually large footprint inside one of Silicon Valley's most strategically important AI firms.
Palantir's Defense
Palantir has insisted: 'To the NHS, and all our customers, we are designated by law as a 'data processor', with our customers 'data controllers'.' 'Using the data for anything else would not only be illegal but technically impossible due to granular access controls overseen by the NHS.'
