Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

NHS faces legal action over data firm contract

NHS faces legal action over data firm contract

The NHS is being taken to court over its contract with controversial US data firm Palantir.

Open Democracy said it had launched the legal action over Palantir's long-term involvement in the analysis of vast amounts of public health data.

It also alleges that Palantir lobbied a top NHS official over expensive watermelon cocktails.

Palantir has often been a frequent target of scrutiny by privacy campaigners.

The firm helps analyse huge volumes of data from governments and others, and sorts through the tangle for useful insights, patterns and connections.

Once a notoriously secret firm, it was founded with support from the US Central Intelligence Agency in 2003, and has been linked to efforts to track undocumented migrant workers in America in recent years.

It also has a substantial presence in London, with hundreds of employees.

What happened?


Palantir's initial involvement in the NHS began in March 2020 alongside other tech giants, as part of a short-term attempt to predict how best to deploy resources to deal with the pandemic, using a so-called "datastore" of health information.

But Open Democracy, which labels Palantir a "spy-tech" company, is critical of the extension of that short-term contract in December. It will now run for two years, and cost £23.5m.

The initial deal "was a short-term, emergency response to the pandemic. But December's new, two-year contract reaches far beyond Covid: to Brexit, general business planning and much more," the group said.

It said the deal "risks demolishing trust in the NHS".

Under the Palantir deal, NHS data is anonymised - with no names, addresses, or other identifying details - and it is not kept by Palantir. The firm contributes use of its software and staff, but does not store the data itself, which remains under the control of the NHS.

The technical complaint in the legal case is about whether a fresh Data Protection Impact Assessment needed to be done for the revised deal.

An NHS spokesperson said an assessment had been done in April, "and an update will be published in due course".

But Foxglove, the non-profit legal team handling the case for Open Democracy, said any new contract needed a new impact assessment.

"The government shouldn't use the pandemic as an excuse to embed major tech firms like Palantir in the NHS without consulting the public," said director Cori Crider.

"The datastore is the largest pool of patient data in UK history. It's one thing to set it up on an emergency basis, it's a different kettle of fish to give a tech firm like Palantir a permanent role in NHS infrastructure," she said.

Open Democracy and Foxglove are crowdfunding £30,000 for the costs of the case. Any remaining funds will be split between them.

What about the watermelon cocktails?


The launch of the legal case coincides with the release of details about Palantir's lobbying of the UK government by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism in partnership with Sky News.

In July 2019, Palantir's UK chief hosted Lord David Prior, chair of NHS England, the night before the launch of the NHS new technology division, NHSX, the Bureau said.

The next day, Lord Prior emailed to thank his host for the "interesting dinner and also for the watermelon cocktails" - which Sky said cost about £60.

Exchanges between the NHS and Palantir continued over the next few months, leading to the first contract at the outset of the pandemic, the Bureau said.

However, such activities are not unusual.

"It doesn't look great, but all the big suppliers to government do it," said Peter Smith, former president of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply and author of Bad Buying, a book about public money wasted through poor purchasing.

Procurement officials are expected to stay on top of developments in the field, he said, although "whether it's best done over £60 cocktails is another question".


But "it would be wrong to just say no senior civil servant or minister should ever meet a prospective supplier", he added.

Regarding the awarding of the actual contract, Mr Smith said Palantir was on a list of pre-approved government suppliers, which "gives it some credibility and legitimacy".

And £23m was not a particularly large government computing contract, he added.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Saudi Arabia Faces Uncertainty Over Succession After Mohammed bin Salman
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
×