Palantir: Protecting NHS Patients Means Using the Break Clause

This week's report from Parliament’s Science, Innovation and Technology Committee has brought much‑needed clarity to an issue I have been raising for some time: the future of the NHS Federated Data Platform and the Government’s growing reliance on Palantir.

The cross‑party Committee could not have been clearer. Its 70‑page report warns that Palantir’s expanding role in UK public services represents an “unacceptable point of weakness” and urges Ministers to use the 2027 break clause in the £330 million contract. As Liberal Democrat Science, Innovation and Technology Spokesperson Victoria Collins MP put it: “The Government must listen to Parliament and use the break clause to end our dangerous reliance on Palantir.”

I agree. For me, this has always been about data sovereignty, accountability, and the protection of patients’ most sensitive information. NHS data belongs to the public, not to private companies, and the Government has a duty to ensure that any partner handling it meets the highest standards of transparency and public trust.

That is why I have already taken action on behalf of constituents. This includes:

Writing to the Financial Conduct Authority on 12 May to raise concerns about Palantir’s position and the implications for public confidence.

Signing Early Day Motion 2868, calling for full transparency around the procurement process and urging Ministers to develop British‑based alternatives so that Palantir’s contract can end at the earliest opportunity.

The Select Committee’s findings now strengthen the case for a reset. With a break clause built into the contract, the Government has a clear opportunity and responsibility to rethink its approach before the NHS becomes locked into a long‑term dependency that may not serve patients’ interests.

I will continue to press Ministers to put patient privacy, public accountability, and national capability at the heart of NHS data policy. Our health service and its patients deserve nothing less.