Subject: Palantir
Question from WCHW
Despite the controversial nature of Palantir and lack of public scrutiny, the company was awarded a £330 million NHS contract and NHSE are pressurising Trusts to sign up to their Federated Data Platform (FDP) system. Will the committee question RCHT and CPFT about their respective current and future contracts with Palantir?
Answer:
Cllr Chopak: Chair of HASCOS
I will first read some factual information provided by RCHT officers:
“The Federated Data Platform (FDP) is a key component of NHS plans for managing health information and further details can be found here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/nhs-federated-data-platform/nhs-fdp-explained/
The purpose of the FDP is to tackle the long-term challenges and complexities of sharing information across the NHS and does so through three main capabilities:
- core infrastructure: the platform primarily connects existing systems and data, breaking down silos to create a unified view of information
- product solutions: specific applications built on the platform address particular challenges like ‘waiting list management’ and ‘discharge planning’
- analytical capabilities: the platform provides tools to analyse connected data, helping identify patterns and opportunities for improvement
NHS England awarded the contract for the FDP to a consortium led by Palantir in November 2023. The contract is for seven years and provides fully funded access to NHS organisations. NHSE provide access to the FDP through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Integrated Care Boards and trusts do not have a contractual relationship with Palantir or other suppliers in the consortium.
The platform also provides several solutions, different organisations have their own secure areas known as ‘instances’. NHSE operate the national instance and increasingly the mandated data returns from trusts and ICBs are processed on the FDP. When individual trusts and ICBs complete the MoU, they are provided with their own instance and have full control of their data.
What does it mean for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly?
The ICB received a briefing on the FDP in June 2024 and supported exploring adoption in Cornwall IoS. Subsequently in Aug 2024 NHSE required all trusts and ICBs to set out their plans for adoption over the following two years. The ICB signed the MoU and was able to move to adoption of the Local Analytical Hub (LAH) which allows ICB analysts to collaborate on understanding health issues and identifying actions to improve local health services. CFT has signed the MoU and is currently exploring the products most suitable for community mental health trusts and neighbourhood health care. RCHT has signed the MoU and is working on a finance specific product: Local Cost Collection. Wider adoption in RCHT is planned to follow the go live and stabilisation of the eCare Electronic Patient Record (EPR) from 21st June this year.
The NHS Medium Term Planning Framework sets out the expectations for the full adoption of the FDP and expected health and population benefits by FY 2028/29. Cornwall IoS is currently expected to meet the NHS planning requirement utilising the fully funded FDP infrastructure and products.”
On the question of whether the Committee will question the contracts, I will undertake to discuss this with officers and the Committee while developing the coming year’s work programme in the next few weeks. I am aware that a Member has submitted a suggestion related to privacy issues and the question will help to inform our discussions.
Supplementary Question from WCHW
Given you are going to discuss the issue in a week’s time. In order for patients and stakeholders to understand the legal, ethical and legal implications of the FDP system and for us as patients to give informed consent about the way records will be handled in future will HASCOSC call for a halt to any plans to start using the Palantir system until a comprehensive independent and public consultation has taken place?
Reply to supplementary:
Cllr Chopak: I am informed that patients do have the right to withdraw on an individual basis.
Kelvyn Hipperson, RCHT: Individuals have a right to opt out. The question or approach from the Committee around further exploration of how the solution will be used makes complete sense. The actual information from the link provided does explain how privacy is maintained for patients and fundamentally Palantir as a provider don't have access to that data beyond the support arrangements that are necessary within the contract. (https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/nhs-federated-data-platform/nhs-fdp-explained/). So, NHS England, as we covered, have put in place all the necessary protections for privacy, including using a separate company within that consortium to provide a specific solution around protecting privacy.
WCHW: A survey is being done at the moment suggesting at least 50% of patients are unhappy with Palantir and will withdraw which means systems will not work properly. The Government Health Select Committee is about to look into Palantir.