{
  "id": 17979750,
  "title": "NHS counts Palantir benefits at trusts that say they're not using it",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/nhs-counts-palantir-benefits-at-trusts-that-say-theyre-not-using-it-17979750",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-11-03T14:32:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Register",
    "slug": "the-register",
    "url": "https://www.theregister.com/public-sector/2026/11/03/nhs-counts-palantir-benefits-at-trusts-that-say-theyre-not-using-it/5307222"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Twenty-nine NHS trusts reported to the information watchdog that they were not utilizing Palantir's Federated Data Platform, according to health advocacy group Medact. This amounts to approximately 21 percent of the 137 trusts highlighted by NHS England as reaping benefits from the platform, as ministers deliberate on whether to prolong the £330 million contract with Palantir. The government's decision on the matter is due in December. Medact scrutinized the government's justification for maintaining the agreement following the controversy. The US tech firm and NHS first partnered during the pandemic when they received £60 million in contracts without competition. NHS England awarded the FDP contract in November 2023, stating it consolidates operational data from separate systems to enhance staff efficiency. However, among the 137 reported trusts, 29, as revealed in Freedom of Information responses, deny using the platform. NHS England's September figures list 142 trusts on the platform, with 137 claiming benefits. Among the disputed trusts, NHS England cites University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust as benefiting, but the trust responded to the request that FDP is not operational and they have no plans to roll it out. Nottingham University Hospitals also stated there is no agreed implementation timeline. NHS England asserts that the platform is accessible to all NHS trusts and integrated care boards in England, allowing local organizations to choose individual tools based on their needs. Palantir maintains that its software plays a crucial role in improving patient care, enabling 100,000 additional operations, reducing discharge delays by 12 percent, and removing 675,000 patients from waiting lists. The UK's statistical regulator has ordered NHS England to improve accuracy in reporting figures related to the platform. The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee gave the government until today to clarify its stance on potential exit plans if the decision is made to terminate the Palantir contract in February. The government's junior minister stated that the contract includes provisions for exit and transition, but publishing more detailed information about the exit plan would compromise commercial interests.",
  "summary": "Medact flags 29 disputed entries as ministers weigh £330M deal's future",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}