Palantir's NHS cancer app gets plenty of praise, precious few users
Official figures put uptake at just six trusts, while FoI responses raise questions about which are actually benefiting
Only a small number of NHS trusts are utilizing the cancer app developed by Palantir for the controversial £330 million Federated Data Platform (FDP). The app, known as Cancer 360, aims to consolidate cancer patient data from various sources into a single system to assist healthcare professionals in prioritizing treatments. Initial pilot programs were launched four years ago, but current official statistics show that only five or six trusts are actively using the Cancer 360 app.
The discrepancies in reported benefits and actual usage have raised questions about which trusts are reaping the advantages of the system.
According to a Freedom of Information request, NHS England claimed that Cancer 360 significantly reduced diagnosis times and improved the rate of patients diagnosed within 28 days. However, these claims have been met with skepticism. Critics argue that the procurement process for the FDP was flawed, as Palantir had secured non-competitive contracts worth millions of pounds before the FDP contract was awarded.
Moreover, NHS England's latest figures indicate that as of June 2026, six trusts were using Cancer 360, but only five were experiencing benefits. The identities of these five trusts and the reasons behind the discrepancy have not been disclosed, leading to further confusion.
In July 2026, the UK's statistical regulator demanded that NHS England provide accurate briefings to ministers regarding the FDP's performance. This demand follows findings that nearly a third of NHS trusts using Palantir's health data platform were experiencing fewer patient procedures than before the platform's implementation.
The Office for Statistics Regulation is currently assessing NHS England's claims about the FDP's impact on cancer diagnosis waiting times, and the regulator has added more caveats to its website. As the government decides on the continuation of the Palantir-led contract beyond February 2027, pressure is mounting to reduce lock-in to a single vendor and foster the development of alternative, sovereign technology.
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