Concerns have arisen among health service employees regarding the issuance of NHS email accounts to engineers from the controversial technology firm Palantir. Staff members utilizing NHS.net email accounts can access a directory containing contact information for approximately 1.5 million personnel, and it is believed that Palantir employees have been granted similar access.
Engineers from Palantir, who are involved in the deployment of the Federated Data Platform (FDP) for NHS England, have also been permitted to access NHS SharePoint file-sharing systems and internal Microsoft Teams groups. Various hospital trusts and integrated care boards throughout the UK are being urged to implement the FDP, for which Palantir secured a £300 million contract in 2023. NHS England asserts that the FDP enables healthcare organizations to link patient records historically stored across disparate systems, enhancing the management of waiting lists, appointment allocation, diagnosis speed, and personalized treatment. This initiative is part of the government’s broader strategy to modernize the NHS through significant digital transformations.
While it is not uncommon for private contractors to utilize NHS email accounts and internal systems, Palantir’s connections to AI surveillance and military technology have led many staff members, patients, and human rights advocates to raise ethical concerns about the integration of this technology firm within the UK public sector.
Resident doctor Rory Gibson expressed his unease, stating, “As a physician, I do not want my personal email and phone number to be accessible to someone from Palantir, especially when they may soon be involved in military drone operations. NHS personnel have not agreed to share their contact information with Palantir employees.”
Reports indicate that at least six Palantir engineers assisting NHS staff with the FDP implementation have received NHS.net email accounts. In response, a Palantir representative remarked that such practices are standard for government suppliers, noting that government guidelines suggest that utilizing government systems is more secure than having suppliers rely on their own systems.
Palantir asserted that its software has contributed to delivering 110,000 additional surgeries, a 15.3% decrease in discharge delays, and a 6.8% rise in cancer diagnoses within 28 days of referral. The spokesperson clarified, “Our responsibility is to provide software, and its application falls entirely under NHS control, with data processing limited to their stringent directives.”
David Rowland, director of the Centre for Health and the Public Interest, commented on the situation, stating that while granting NHS email addresses to Palantir staff may not constitute a rule violation, it highlights significant ethical dilemmas concerning the alignment of Palantir’s business practices with the NHS’s founding principles. He called for a comprehensive review of which private companies are receiving NHS contracts and the processes by which these contracts are awarded.
Frustration among NHS staff grew upon learning that they had participated in virtual Microsoft Teams meetings with Palantir employees, who had joined using NHS email accounts, without prior disclosure of their affiliations.
The issuance of these email accounts aligns with the NHSmail access policy, which allows “independent sector organizations providing health and social care services nationally” to utilize NHSmail. An unrestricted NHS.net account provides access to staff information on the NHSmail portal, potentially including roles, locations, workplaces, and mobile numbers. Additionally, these accounts can be used to access discounts offered to “Blue Light” staff at various retailers and restaurants.
Palantir’s software is already employed by several UK police forces and the Ministry of Defence, with critics expressing concern that the interoperability of its systems could enable governmental overreach, including the potential establishment of a British equivalent to the US immigration enforcement agency ICE, as suggested by the Reform UK party.
The founders of Palantir include American businessman and Trump supporter Peter Thiel, who has controversially stated that “the NHS makes people sick,” and Alex Karp, who has claimed that the company’s surveillance technology assists clients in “scaring” and “killing” enemies. The UK division of Palantir is led by Louis Mosley, the grandson of the notorious British fascist leader Oswald Mosley.
In response to these developments, an NHS spokesperson affirmed that all suppliers, including Palantir, operate strictly under NHS guidance, ensuring that data access remains within NHS control and is governed by stringent contractual confidentiality requirements.
